Augmented Redemption
by UnLivedLives
Summary: A young woman, the product of a genetic experiment gone wrong, takes up with an unlikely group of fugitives - Khan Noonien Singh and his crew. Newly awakened by a radical geneticist with promises of starting a new life on a planet outside of Federation control, we follow their escape and dangers along the way. OU
1. Chapter 1 - Altered Childhood

**Chapter 1 - Altered Childhood**

Kiri sat with her arms folded slouched in her seat, a hat pulled down low over her eyes. It was as much to keep her from looking at the people around her as it was to keep them from seeing her. She seethed with anger, but she knew that was a very dangerous condition for her. Kiri was the result of a genetic experiment to enhance a person's intellectual abilities. Her own parents, genetic engineers within Starfleet, had taken it upon themselves to experiment on their own child…illegally.

"What the fuck did they think would happen?" she had asked herself that question over and over during the course of her 25 years of life. She stroked her long auburn braid in an unconscious self comforting motion.

They just wanted 'the best' for her, they had said. When she was 6 years old, her parents had taken her to Adigeon Prime. There was a hospital on this world that permitted its staff to perform DNA resequencing on their patients. This medical procedure, a type of genetic engineering, was considered illegal in the Federation, which was why her parents had kept it secret.

But upon her return to Earth, her abilities outstripped her ability to control them. There had been several 'incidents' with other children that her parents were hard pressed to explain to their peers, and as a result, she was often hidden away from social activities.

Kiri remembered her longing to make friends, and the inevitable heartbreak that resulted when she accidentally revealed her abilities. There had always been that distinct moment when she saw the fear in their eyes, after which play dates would come to an abrupt stop, and she would be alone again.

"Abilities." She scoffed at the term. "Curses, more like," she thought to herself, as she mulled over her situation. It always hurt like a knife wound to think that she hadn't been good enough somehow, and her parents felt a need to change her.

At first, Kiri exhibited elements of a superior intellect and a slightly higher level of strength. Nothing that would arouse suspicion, just the talents of a naturally high achiever. But when she was 10 years old, after months of suffering from blinding migraine headaches, Kiri began to display telekinetic powers. This was never the intended outcome, in fact, it wasn't even thought to be _possible_. But the DNA resequencing had obviously triggered something unexpected. At first, Kiri was terrified of this new power. She thought it was some evil force controlling her. That was, until she learned that she could control _**it**_ , if she focused hard enough. But a 10 year old child hardly has the emotional development to control a superhuman ability, and soon, she became 'problematic' as her parents put it.

When she didn't like something, she would cause it to fall and break. When she didn't like someone, she learned that she could cause them to stop speaking, and even stop them from moving altogether. She could open doors, unlock locks, move heavy objects and make people move how she wanted them to.

One ill-fated day, at the age of 16, when Kiri was in a dark mood because her parents wouldn't let her attend her only friend's birthday party, she became furious. Her mother had been fearful to let her attend because she had been particularly out of control that week.

"But you _**made**_ me this way!" she screamed at her parents, who stood there helplessly watching her throw a tantrum. But she was right, and they knew it.

She was so angry, she stopped her mother mid-step from following her down the stairs out the door. She didn't mean for it to happen, but her mother fell down the stairs and hit her head, which resulted in her falling into a coma which she never came out of. At 16 years old, Kiri realized that she was a danger to those she _loved_ as well as to those she hated. It was a psychological blow that she had never recovered from. Grief stricken, her father sent her to The Institute, as it was called. This was a specialized Federation ward that served as a home to several "special needs" individuals, that is, those people whose unauthorized genetic enhancements went wrong.

"Other mutants," she had called them. The only way Kiri found to live with her sense of guilt was to stuff it down deeply underneath a façade of anger. It was a vicious cycle for a person who lashed out at others when she was angry.

For the next nine years she had 'lived' at the Institute. Most of the failed attempts at genetic resequencing had resulted in individuals who had some incredible talents mixed with debilitating flaws. Kiri was considered to be high functioning, and could control her powers when she wanted to. She didn't even fit in among the other freaks. A freak among freaks, she thought bitterly.

The events of the last few weeks had been a blur for Kiri. She was now seated in the space dock of a remote non-Federation space station. It had taken weeks of different transports to get here, all using aliases and traveling in disguise.

"How the hell did it comes to this?" she asked herself. She had nothing better to do but look back on those events while she waited for her next transport.

Bored with the cloistered life of the Institute, she had taken one of the doctors as a lover. It wasn't hard to do, considering that she was so beautiful. After flashing a little tits and ass she found herself enjoying special amenities and privileges. It hadn't been unpleasant. Dr. Leandro Vega was young and handsome, and not a bad conversationalist, when they talked. Mostly, he was just good at sex. She knew he screwed half of the female work force at the Institute, and maybe even some of the males as well. She didn't care.

One day, after a most magnificent orgasm, Vega was relaxed and unguarded. He told her about his pet project coming to fruition. Vega had been fascinated with genetic resequencing and had become one of the Federation's premier experts on the subject. He had managed to make plans to free the Augments - the original products of Earth's Eugenics wars in the mid 1990's - that had been kept in cryogenic hibernation.

Kiri had sat bolt upright in bed. "Are you fucking crazy?!" she said breathlessly. "They're…dangerous!"

Vega eyed her warily. He shouldn't have been so careless with this information.

"You of all people should know that they are the way they are because we engineered them to be so. They shouldn't be imprisoned for life. They should be helped." He moved closer to her to caress her breasts, hoping to distract her from her heightened alarm. She batted him away.

"What are you going to do to help them?" she asked, now clearly interested.

"I have made a deal with them. I am going to relocate them to a non-Federation colony on the planet M'weru. I am going to help them to fix their genetic 'flaws.' " His eyes drifted away as if dreaming of the glory he would receive by siding with the Augments, who were god-like next to ordinary humans.

"They'll kill you as soon as they're free," said Kiri, brutally blunt.

"I've made a deal," he said, now putting his hands behind his head like some businessman clearly pleased with his own cleverness. He looked sideways at her through his long lashes. "With Khan Noonien Singh," he added, puffing out his bare chest.

Kiri sat dumbfounded. "How the hell did you do that? Better yet, _**why**_ did you do that?" she asked incredulously.

"As one of the leading genetic scientists in the Federation, I have access to them…for study."

"But they're in suspended animation…aren't they?" she now looked at him curiously, and maybe even a little impressed. Vega didn't miss that.

"I took him out of cryogenic suspension temporarily and spoke with him," he replied. "We came to an… agreement. If I can reform them through modifications, they may be able to reintegrate into society. Or at least, start a society of their own."

"And they agreed to this?" said Kiri, shaking her head. "You don't have the authority to do that…do you?"

In addition to their superior abilities, the Augments were overly aggressive and arrogant. Casualties from the Eugenics Wars were estimated at 30 million and these particular Augments were considered to be among the most dangerous.

"I have no reason to think he won't hold up his end of the bargain," said Vega confidently. "You see, the scientists were unable to correct their flaws at the time the Augments were created, since the science was still in its infancy. With my current knowledge in the field, I can help them. Khan doesn't _want_ to be a danger to others."

It was true that unlike other Augment rulers, Khan did not initiate any wars of aggression or massacres until he himself was attacked. It was for this reason that he had been known as the "best of the tyrants."

"Other than being infamous for helping known felons to escape, what do _you_ get out of this?" asked Kiri. Vega admired her boldness. It turned him on.

"Well, besides being _famous_ for taming the Augments, I may also become _one_ of them." He leaned over again and began gently tracing circles around her nipples.

"Would you like to come with me?" he whispered into her ear. She did not stop him from touching her this time. She arched her back and allowed the erotic feeling to wash over her. A life outside the confines of the Institution might be appealing. Being among others with special powers could be…liberating.

"These Augments," she asked him between deep breaths, "are they good lovers?" He laughed and began to suck on her nipples. She let out a small groan and they made love again.

Three weeks later, she was here in this dingy space station. Vega had contacts, and the freed Augments had cunning. They would be picking her up here at any minute, all having split up to take various routes and ships. This was one of the meeting points. There was a large heavily armed ship waiting for them all to take them to their final destination, M'weru.

She had to hand it to Vega. He actually pulled it off. She had done some reading about the Augments, wanting to know what she was getting herself into. She had huge reservations about this. These people had been brutal at times. She wondered how they would receive her, and how much they knew about her. For a moment, she thought she might just run and not rendezvous with any of these people. She could find a place to settle down away from Federation 'hospitals.' No one would know about her special abilities unless she revealed them.

She startled as someone walked straight up to her and nudged her toe. She looked up from under her cap to see Vega standing there in mechanic's overalls.

"New vocation, Leandro?" she asked teasing him in a low sultry voice, but he looked tense and didn't smile.

"We could have trouble," he said trying not to look over his shoulder. "Federation operatives, but I'm not sure they're here for us or something else."

Kiri's eyes flitted to a man standing near and exit. Even when they were trying not to look like Federation officers, they still had that tell tale look.

"If it comes to blows, we should have the winning team," she said flippantly. Vega still looked nervous. He obviously wasn't as brave in the field as he was while bragging about it in bed. Definitely a turn-off.

Vega looked at the device signaling on his belt. He took a deep breath and said, "They're here."


	2. Chapter 2 - Premature Emancipation

**Chapter 2 - Premature Emancipation**

By now Starfleet would have discovered the security breach in the facility where the Augments had been held and agents would be scouring every transport, ship and station they could get to.

But so far, the suspected agent in the doorway had made no move. Kiri sat up straight as men and women began to filter in and gather together. One in particular made Kiri's mouth drop open. He was a stunning specimen of a man, with dark wavy hair and steel grey eyes that seemed to cut into everything he looked at like laser beams.

This was the infamous Khan Noonien Singh. When those eyes turned in her direction her heart nearly stopped. She couldn't help but look him over, appraising his lean muscular form as it was accentuated by his dark form fitting uniform.

Leandro Vega noticed her smitten expression and elbowed her, not without a pang of jealousy.

"You're an insect to him," he whispered into her ear.

She glared at Leandro in annoyance. "Maybe," she hissed at him. "So are you."

Khan came striding gracefully over to them. He looked at them both with a calculating stare and not one hint of emotion.

"Is our ship ready to go…mechanic?" he said to Vega, a slight tone of condescension in his voice as he took in Vega's disguise.

"Yes," answered Vega stiffly. "It's in Bay 3. We have clearance for departure, as soon as all our passengers are on board."

"This is Kiri," he added, not even bothering to look at her when introducing her. "I mentioned her to you earlier. She is coming with us as per the arrangement."

Khan's eyes flicked over her shapely form boldly. It sent a shiver down Kiri's spine, but Khan made no comment or answer to the introduction. He turned his back on them and proceeded to Bay 3, several others following him randomly to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Kiri and Vega followed him into the shuttle bay, surreptitiously, with Kiri wondering how much, if anything, Vega hold told Khan about her abilities.

They had all cleared the door to the hangar, and were all making their way to board the ship when an alarm sounded. Kiri felt like they were fish in a barrel, all of them together in one place. This is just what Starfleet had wanted.

But the Augments had not come unprepared, and now they all had weapons drawn. Laser fire scorched the walls near Kiri's head, but Khan took out the man who had fired it.

"Get to the ship!" he shouted, as if he needed to urge them on. Vega had come armed, but Kiri noted that he was running fearfully for the ramp, his back turned on the scene and his mind set solely on escaping. Several Starfleet officers were down, and two of the Augments had been shot, but not fatally. Their recuperative powers were so advanced, they were healed before they even reached the ship.

As Vega stumbled up the ramp, he was hit square in the back. The phaser was not set to stun, and a large hole vaporized through to his abdomen. He died where he fell with a look of shock frozen on his face. Khan kicked him mercilessly off the ramp as he grabbed Kiri's arm and shoved her forward roughly. She had been facing the other direction and did not see Vega fall or Khan kick him.

"If you're still coming, then go!" he said, shooting at a woman who was heading for the control panel to shut down the Bay doors. She was wearing a body shield that seemed to deflect his phaser.

"Dammit!" he growled. "I'll have to do this the hard way!" he made a move to run at the woman, but she was too far on the other side of the giant bay. Even with Khan's super speed it would take too much time to get to her…and Khan wasn't impervious to weapon fire.

Kiri put a hand on his arm lightly to stop him. He glared at her, his eyebrows knit in confusion.

She hadn't done this in awhile. Not on this scale. For years she had to work to suppress her ability, and now she had to go big or risk being killed. Self preservation won out. She focused first on the woman trying to get to the control panel. The woman froze in her tracks unable to move. Then, as those in Kiri's peripheral vision came into her awareness, one by one she stopped them all in their tracks.

One of the Augments shot at one of the stationary Starfleet figures. It was a direct hit that blew apart the man's fore arm, and yet, he remained frozen, unable to fall or move. The pain and fear in his eyes told that he was conscious of his surroundings, just…unable to move. Kiri had forgotten the sensation of watching that happen. On some level she knew it was horrible, and yet, there was a sense of satisfaction. Of power.

Khan looked at Kiri in disbelief, but wasn't yet sure that it was _**her**_ causing the phenomenon. How could it be? He grabbed her arm and pushed her into the ship. The hatch shut behind them.

"Opening bay doors, sir. Not waiting for clearance. This may be rough," said Alan, the augment pilot as he jerked the craft into motion before many of them could take seats and buckle in.

Kiri fell towards an empty seat and strapped in. There was no going back now. She was a fugitive from the Institution as it was. Now she would be wanted by Starfleet law enforcement as well. She closed her eyes and imagined the people she had immobilized. At some point when they got far enough away, she felt a small 'pop' in her consciousness, for lack of a better description. She knew her powers had limits and that those people were now out from under her compulsion. It was better if she didn't think too much about how that worked.


	3. Chapter 3 - Freeze Frame

**Chapter 3: Freeze Frame**

Khan stared at her, his eyes dissecting her critically, a frown furrowing his brow as he sought answers to the odd circumstances of the escape.

"Starfleet cruiser off the port bow!" barked Alan, lurching the ship to the left to evade phaser fire.

"Evasive maneuvers!" yelled Khan back.

"No shit…" said Alan under his breath. "Sir," he added catching a glimpse of Khan's disapproving glare.

"We're jumping to warp now. Everybody hold on!"

Kiri knew there had been 72 augments in cryo suspension. There were only seven augments in all that had escaped from the station. Where all the others were was unclear. Still frozen? Dead? Waiting to meet them?

"Let's take one step at a time," thought Kiri as she looked at everyone for the first time.

"Set coordinates for 070-mark-4," barked Khan.

"Already set, sir" said Alan, with a know-it-all smirk on his face, which Khan ignored.

Now that the ship had steadied, he ripped off his seat belt and flew to Kiri in a fraction of a second, pressing her shoulders into the seat behind her. His face was inches from hers, his lip curled into a menacing sneer,

"Who are you? What happened back there?" he pressed until her shoulders hurt. Without thinking she threw her mind at him and made him reel backwards, landing on the ground and she froze him there. When the others made to get up to step in, Kiri froze them all to their places, just as she had done to the Starfleet officers. She left Alan untouched to pilot the ship, but he made no move towards her direction. He eyed her in amazement and whistled.

"That is some trick," he said quietly, looking nervously at the frozen crew.

The fierceness in Khan's eyes cut through his immobility, but he could not speak.

Kiri stood up.

"I have no desire to hurt you. I could have killed you all, if I had wanted to, and I still could!" her green eyes flashed. "But I need to get away from this shit hole, and you are my ride, so I suggest you refrain from choking me." She folded her arms across her chest. Khan would have laughed at her, if he had been at liberty to. A beautiful young woman with a petulant pout to her full lips, commanding the augments. Commanding _him_!

Khan was a pragmatist. He knew she could probably kill him before he could kill her. This was _interesting_. It was rare when anyone held such power over an augment. It was rare for anyone to capture his interest at all, and Kiri did for many reasons.

After a few awkward moments and with the realization that no one could speak, she released Kahn. Well, just his head at any rate. She needed to let him speak without being able to move back towards her.

"I see that I am bested," he said, trying to curb his usual distain. He was clearly chafing under the restraint and defeat. He strained against the invisible bonds, but quickly figured out it was futile.

"We will not move to hurt you." His eyes flicked to his crew. "No one will make a hostile move," he ordered them. "Clearly, you have some ability that we do not. Free us, and we'll talk." His eyes showed his wariness. He even felt a bit of _fear_ , if he was honest with himself. An interesting sensation that he rarely felt. They were helpless and at her command.

"I can make you stop breathing just as easily," said Kiri, not entirely placated. "I will let you go, but be careful," she warned. She mentally released her hold on them, but was prepared to throw them back into stasis immediately if need be.

The five other augments approached warily, and Khan held up his hand signaling them to keep their distance.

"Vega mentioned that he was bringing a 'friend'," said Khan. "What are you?"

So Vega _hadn_ _'_ _t_ told the augments about her or her abilities. She looked around for Leandro, just noticing that he was not here.

"Where is he?" she asked, now alarmed that she was alone and without representation, so to speak.

"Vega fell in the cross-fire," Khan stated flatly. Kiri took a sharp breath in, but composed herself.

"He was a friend?" asked Khan.

"Not really," answered Kiri, truthfully if not a bit coldly, a fact that was not lost on Khan.

"I just hooked up with him to get out of…never mind that." She was mad at herself for almost giving too much away.

"Kiri," said Khan, his voice so low and smooth it sent shivers up and down her spine. It was deadly and sensual at the same time. "Vega said your name was Kiri. What is this ability you have?" he asked, hungry to know more about her.

"Not so fast," she answered fiercely. "I don't know much about _you_."

Khan moved slowly towards her, gracefully as a panther, but without any sudden movement or hostility. His tight black shirt showed off the lean muscles underneath it, straining at the fabric. He seemed to be keeping his physicality in check with some difficulty, and still looked ready to spring at any second.

"As you already know, my name is Khan," he said looking down at her, assessing her lithe body. He looked into her eyes to asses her reaction. She had already processed that information earlier when Vega had introduced him, but she was riveted in place by Khan's steel grey eyes. They were mesmerizing.

"Alan Walker is our pilot," he said, pointing to the man at the helm. With difficulty, she tore her eyes away from Kahn's to look at the pilot.

Alan, who had an athletic figure, blonde hair and hazel eyes, stood up and bowed in mocking politeness. "Ma'am," he said.

Kiri clucked her tongue. "Don't call me that," she snapped.

"Yes, _ma_ _'_ _am_ ," answered Alan with a hint of flirtation. It was easy to deduce that he was the playboy of the group.

"This is Carl Anstett," said Khan, looking towards a stern-looking brown-haired man. The man nodded, almost imperceptibly. His eyes betrayed a cold hostility and cruelty that was terrifying. He seemed remote and emotionless. "Carl is our science officer."

"And Karen, his sister," continued Khan motioning towards a short woman with a boyish figure. She had straight brown hair set off by blue eyes. Her freckles gave her a girlish appearance not matched by her aggressive competitive personality. Karen gave Kiri an arrogant chin nod, not bothering to hide her distaste for having a stranger on board, especially a beautiful one. Karen was the jealous type, even though she had no claim on any of her male crew mates.

"This is Ming Xu, in charge of security," continued Khan, watching Kiri's reactions closely.

Ming was a small Chinese woman, who did absolutely nothing to acknowledge the introduction. She merely looked at Kiri taking in every detail, no doubt assessing her as a threat. Kiri noticed a slash in Ming's jacket on the arm, which had been charred by laser fire. The arm itself was perfectly healthy and already healed. Why couldn't she have gotten _that_ ability?

"Rabinesh Kapur, our doctor," continued Khan, now pacing in front of the crew in a very slow and quiet way never turning his back towards Kiri. Rabinesh was tall and thin, his face an expression of serene intelligence. He nodded to Kiri and looked at her with great interest. He was a genetic biologist, so of course Kiri presented him with a very attractive puzzle.

"And Yazmeen Davis, tactical" he finished pointing to a tall extremely well-toned black woman in a skin tight black outfit. Yazmeen looked at Kiri with a challenging glare.

"That was a neat trick you pulled," she said, clearly trying to control her anger. "Care to explain how?" she asked, taking a step forward towards Kiri.

It was Rabinesh that stepped between them "Ladies, let's keep it civilized," he said in a calming voice.

"I think that ship sailed when we blasted our way of the shuttle bay," said Kiri sarcastically.

"Not to mention when you froze us like fucking popsicles," countered Yazmeen.

"Well he was fucking choking me!" shouted Kiri back at her pointing at Khan, unfazed by Yazmeen's posturing. "And I'll freeze your ass again if you don't back off…" she spat.

"Ladies!" shouted Rabinesh, trying to make himself heard and to defuse the situation.

"Regardless of all that's happened, I believe we are all on the same side," he said diplomatically. "We _all_ wanted to get away from Starfleet. Why don't we sit and you can tell us all about it?" he said smoothly, moving forward to take Kiri's arm and gently lead her to a seat. Khan was now very still, only his eyes following Kiri and Rabinesh. Yazmeen was breathing heavily and trying to control herself from attacking Kiri.

"Call me Rab," he said, smiling gently. Kiri had the impression of a man who was used to dealing with sick or deranged people. She had seen the same mannerisms used by the doctors at the Institute. This put her immediately on guard, but she allowed herself to be led to a seat. She knew she could freeze them all where they stood, as long as she kept vigilant.

They already knew she had a special ability, so what would be the harm in telling them the rest? There was nothing they could to do change it. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, aware that all eyes were on her. She felt self-conscious and irritated. She cleared her throat to speak.

"I'm sorry I had to use that on you. It wasn't my intention. I was…afraid," she began, chancing a glance at Khan who remained silent.

They all moved closer around her but Rab raised his hand to keep them at a distance. He seemed well in tune to her emotions.

"My name is Kiri Aldritch," she began, like this was some sort of group therapy session. "Like you, I am the product of genetic engineering," she admitted. It felt good. These people were considered freaks, much like herself. They were dangerous, like her, even more so. They had very little little sense of morality. Egotistical with little or no conscience - or so she had read. Sometimes, she hated that she had a conscience. It allowed her to hurt. But they would understand her. People _must_ have looked at them with the same hatred and fear as people looked at her with.

"Tell us about it," urged Rab softly. "No one will hurt you," he assured her. He looked meaningfully at his crew mates, some of whom nodded their assent while others remained still. Carl turned his back on the scene to busy himself with work at a console, clearly expressing his disinterest in her. His sister Karen, a weapons expert, followed him, feigning disinterest. She was furious at the way Khan looked at this new woman. He never looked at _her_ like that…


	4. Chapter 4 - Devils on The Run

**Chapter 4 - Devils on the Run**

Under Rab's careful guidance, Kiri told her story to the augments. At this point, there wasn't much to lose. She didn't tell them exactly what had happened with her mother…they may decide not to trust her and throw her out the airlock right then and there. She just told them she had had a series of 'accidents' when younger that landed her in the special 'Institute.'

Every augment was familiar with the feeling of having people fear and mistrust them, not to mention centuries of being woken up from stasis to be studied. If anything, Kiri's story gave them more reason to accept her there. Or at least, to tolerate her. Her extra strength and intellect didn't match theirs, but it narrowed the gap. Rab, of course, was especially interested in her psychic abilities.

"I've heard of psychic abilities manifesting in very few genetically enhanced people," he said with his brow furrowed. "But they…" he caught himself just before finishing the sentence.

"They didn't last long," finished Kiri unflinchingly. "I've studied all of their cases," she said. "I had a lot of free time on my hands," she added, noticing the surprised look Rab had given her. "Some hurt themselves and some went insane," she finished quietly.

She got up and started pacing. Ming and Yazmeen watched her guardedly, but seemed more relaxed once they had gotten a sense of her. Karen continued to pretend to ignore her.

"We'll reach M'weru in two weeks at warp 8," announced Alan over his shoulder. "If no one kills each other first," he added.

"You aren't even remotely funny," retorted Yazmeen shaking her head.

"What are you going to do with me?" asked Kiri, unable to keep from stating her gnawing question.

Khan walked around her and the hairs stood up on Kiri's neck. This man elicited the strangest combination of emotions. How could she be aroused and terrified at the same time? Was that even possible?

"Do with _you_?," said Khan sharply. "You've made it clear that you are in control of things if you wish to be," he added quietly.

Kiri turned to face him. He looked down straight into her eyes. She held her breath for a second before she realized she had even done so.

"If I go with you to M'weru, I want it to be because I am welcome, not because I compel you to bring me there." Her honesty was refreshing. She was not looking at Khan with fear, as people usually did. He saw in her eyes a fierce desire to _belong_ to something. To be accepted.

Khan was never prone to be sentimental, but he understood a loyalty to his crew that was very much like loyalty to family. That loyalty demanded that he be cautious of potential threats, and Kiri was certainly a threat to them. But she was also a potential weapon and ally. He circled around her weighing the pros and cons. Even if they decided to try to remove her, likely, she could prevent that with her special ability. For now, he felt that he could use her desperation to their advantage. He could manipulate her into helping them towards their goal. And then…he would see how things played out.

"All right," he said. "You can come with us, provided you…behave." There was just a hint of threat in that low voice.

A meaningful look passed between Yazmeen and Ming, but there was a hint of understanding of Khan's reasoning. Rab was happy. A part of him felt he could genuinely like Kiri, but for now, she represented a cache of new data on the telekinetic possibilities of genetic engineering that perhaps he could tap into.

Karen sighed audibly and looked at her brother Carl, who merely glanced up at her from his console. His stoic reaction spoke volumes to his ambivalence towards the situation. He would keep a quiet watch over the situation and take action into his own hands if necessary. But Kahn was acutely aware of Carl's brand of arrogance, in fact the two had butted heads many times over the years over matters of insubordination. But his crew was his family, so he would just have to watch for Carl's covert initiative-taking.

Alan started singing at the helm but didn't take his eyes off the main viewer.

"I wake up in the morning

And I raise my weary head

I've got an old coat for a pillow

And the earth was last night's bed

I don't know where I'm going

Only God knows where I've been…"

He spun around in his chair, stood up and held out his arms dramatically towards Kiri, to finish the verse in a loud voice.

"I'm a devil on the run

A six gun lover

A candle in the wind…"

Khan looked supremely annoyed. Having been asleep for so long he had forgotten just how annoying peoples' idiosyncrasies were. Kiri laughed, and asked, "Where's that song from?"

Yazmeen walked towards Alan mischievously and pushed him back in his seat, amused at his theatrics.

"It's Bon Jovi. Lover boy here like to sing songs from the 1990's. He stuck in the past," she said teasing him as he faked being hurt.

Kiri was amused. She never thought that augments could have a sense of humor, but now she saw that their personalities were just as variable as everyone else's. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5 - Expect The Unexpected

**Chapter 5 - Expect The Unexpected**

It had been two days since their unceremonious departure from the station, and they were all on high alert. News would have spread by now of their escape from Starfleet stasis, and Khan was sure that Admiral Marcus would spare no expense to try to follow them. The two had a long-standing vendetta against each other, Marcus being responsible for the latest imprisonment of the Augments. Vega had helped them to 'neutralize' as many potential information leaks as possible regarding their destination, but Marcus was creative and relentless.

Although Kiri's relationship with the augments was still guarded, they had all relaxed a little as they came to know each others' personalities. It was hard to avoid each other on a ship as small as the one they were on.

The _S_ _ā_ _dhaka_ was a state of the art science vessel of a private venture. Her name meant 'Seeker' which was certainly appropriate to their mission. She had Starfleet level technology but was not part of the fleet, so the ship's signature would read independent if they were scanned. Vega had outfitted the ship with an amount of weaponry almost appropriate for a war vessel, and this would not be lost on anyone who encountered them.

It was not considered a large ship but it was more than adequate for the compliment of eight that it now housed. They each had small quarters to themselves, thankfully. There was a shared mess area and various tactical rooms and small labs.

Khan had kept to himself mostly, occasionally conferring in quiet tones with various members of the crew. Kiri noticed he was quiet, brooding and fastidious in nature. He was definitely more serious than some of the others, except for Carl and Karen. No one was more cold and intimidating than those two, not even Khan, who was at least polite to her, if not a bit remote.

One morning when Kiri was in the Med Bay talking to Rab about her experiences, a loud alarm went off.

"There's a ship de-cloaking off our starboard!" shouted Alan, clearly alarmed at the sudden appearance of a strange vessel in such close proximity. "I've never seen anything like this!"

"Shields up," barked Khan taking his seat in the Captain's chair on the bridge. He was bristling with tension, but Kiri saw that he slipped into this confrontational stance with great ease and relish.

"Open a channel," he shouted as Yazmeen slid cooly into the communication station to comply.

"Channel open," she said calmly, as if this sort of thing happened every day. These people were _used_ to this level of pressure, but Kiri was not. She took a seat tentatively on the side and tried to stay out of the way and tried very hard not to look panic stricken.

When the view screen resolved the visual, they all flew into action, for on the screen was a very familiar looking entity, half human, half machine. They had stumbled across a new type of Borg scout ship.

"We are Borg," came the familiar robotic voice dreaded by every race in every quadrant of the galaxy. "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated." The transmission ended abruptly and the Borg vessel began firing on the _S_ _ā_ _dhaka_ _._

"Ready all weapons, fire at will!" shouted Khan, now losing his coolness as the seriousness of the situation began to set in. No one had weapons to match the Borg. What the hell were they doing in this area!?

They loosed all of their photon torpedoes with minimum effect.

"Shields are down to 20%!" shouted Ming from her tactical station. "They'll try to board us!" she said, her voice no longer able to hide her panic.

Sure enough, two Borg drones materialized on the bridge. Khan fired his phaser, which bounced off their invisible body armor. They had been exposed to this technology before and had already adapted to it.

"Aaaarhg!" Khan shouted blind with fury, racing forward to throttle them physically. His anger was terrifying, but had no emotional effect on the Borg. His teeth were bared and his face was distorted with rage. He managed to get close enough to one to twist its neck so that it fell lifeless to the floor. Others of the crew had inflicted small damage to the drones as well, Ming now proving why she had been chief security officer. Her martial skills were devastating, but so many more Borg had materialized, it was impossible to hold them off. The augment weapons were useless and despite their superior strength, they were no match for the Borg. The augmented humans were no match for the augmented hybrids.

For a moment, Kiri had quite forgotten herself, watching the whole scene play out as if it were a horror movie, not sure where to go or what to do. She was not a soldier, nor was she Starfleet trained. But when she looked at Khan, completely wild in his desperation, she remembered that there might be a way for her to help. She focused her powers as tightly as she could and succeeded in immobilizing the Borg drones. An unfortunate side effect of this was that she inadvertently froze Karen, who had been caught directly behind the intruding line of Borg, but she wasn't aiming to kill them.

"Get them to the transporter pads," shouted Khan, instructing the mobile members of his crew. "We'll beam them into space," he added vehemently.

"When the Borg ships sees them, they start firing again!" warned Alan. "We only got a reprieve because of this little boarding party."

"Can we jump to warp?" asked Yazmeen, struggling under the load of her Borg as she dragged him to the pad.

"We need to realign the plasma injectors," said Carl. "And only Karen can do it!" he added, casting hostile looks at Kiri.

"I'm sorry," Kiri said shakily, looking at Karen's prone form. "I can't always control it at that fine of a level! She'll be ok in a minute."

Kahn growled, "We've got to have a plan when the Borg ship starts firing!"

But no one had any ideas. Their ship was crippled from going to warp, and as soon as they put it in impulse, the Borg ship sent out a tractor beam and held them fast.

Kiri stared in horror at the Borg scout ship, when something in her mind tugged at her. Some odd compulsion caught hold of her subconscious and before she even knew what she was attempting she felt it lock in.

Karen was now standing, throwing daggers at Kiri with her eyes, but she was tottering over to the console to begin the task of realigning the injectors.

Kiri walked up to the monitor in a trance, and as the others noticed, Khan said, "Kiri, what are you doing?"

The sound of her name on his lips thrilled her. Why was she in this funk? She was noticing very strange minutia, like the sweat on Alan's upper lip, Yazmeen's scent as she kept looking towards Alan. Khan's voice as it caressed her name…and yet, above it all, she had some kind of a mental lock on the Borg ship. She had no idea what she was really doing. Rab came running to her with concern.

"Keep it together Kiri. Keep your mind focused solely in the Borg ship." He had no idea really how to coach her with her powers, but he didn't want her to hurt their own in whatever process she was attempting.

The tractor beam stopped transmitting. "Holy fuck!" said Alan turning towards her. "Did you do that?"

But Kiri didn't answer him. Her mind was focused on the Borg ship and all she could think of was the word 'immobilize.' Lights began going out on the Borg ship as various systems shut down. Their weapons powered off, and shields fell. Kiri's focus tightened and intensified. This raw power flooded her mind and blinded her to all but stopping the Borg ship. It was terrifying and sublime.

"Do we have any weapons left at all?" yelled Khan, mobilizing his team into action.

"We have phaser banks fully loaded," answered Ming.

Khan took a deep, satisfied breath, almost as if he were savoring a sensual moment, and then quietly said "Fire."

Without their shields the exposed Borg ship exploded in a fiery ball. Everyone on the bridge stared at it for a moment and then looked at Kiri.

"Jesus Christ," breathed Yazmeen heavily. "You did it!" That seemed to break the spell, and many of the augment crew expressed their thanks or amazement.

"We would have been toast without you, beautiful," said Alan, beaming at her from the helm.

"If anyone's interested, we can jump to warp now," said Karen sarcastically as she finished her work.

"Mister Walker," said Khan to Alan, "Please take us to Warp eight."

"Yes sir," replied Alan with a mock salute.

But Karen wasn't finished. In a surge of anger, she rushed at Kiri.

"You bitch! You did that to me on purpose!" she got to Kiri fast, but Khan got there faster. He intercepted Karen and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, mindless of improprieties. This clearly wasn't a Starfleet vessel with strict rules of conduct.

"She just saved all of us," he growled, his face inches from hers, but not in the way that Karen had always hoped or imagined his closeness. "You will not touch her," he said in a protective tone that surprised even himself.

He let her shirt go and she stood shaken, rumpled and humiliated. This would go a long way in ensuring her continued spite towards Kiri, but there was nothing to be done.

Kiri didn't register any of this however. She just stood looking vacantly into space. She was vaguely aware of people and of her surroundings, but her mind couldn't isolate anything now that the Borg ship was gone. It was just a jumble of images and sensations. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she began to black out, but Khan caught her just before she hit the floor.

"Rabinesh!" he yelled, but the doctor was already at his side. "She's gone into some kind of shock!" he said. "Take care of her."

Rab carried her to the Med Bay, leaving the crew to handle the aftermath of the Borg attack. They were all shaken up, but no one was hurt. The same couldn't be said for the ship. It had sustained some damage, and it would take them awhile to get everything in working order, especially with a skeleton crew.

Karen had spun on her heels and stomped off to the small engine room to sulk in solitude.

"Ming. Yazmeen. Search the ship. Make sure they didn't leave any other surprises for us," ordered Khan, slipping back into his command mode.

"Carl, see if you can isolate any way to detect any other ships cloaked like that. There must be some kind of trail, we just have to find it." Carl nodded. If Carl was upset by his sister's episode with Kiri, he didn't show it. He remained shark-like in his indifference.

Khan sighed and busied himself with damage diagnostics and long range scan results. He had known it wouldn't be easy, but the Borg? Well, anything else would seem easy after that, and now he knew they had a secret weapon aboard. Kiri was going to be his new pet, he told himself, confident of his ability to manipulate her. But he was woefully unaware of Kiri's impact on _him_. He was already protective of her, and if he cared to examine his feelings more closely, which he certainly did not, he might have discovered that he was just a bit attracted to her…


	6. Chapter 6 - Obstructions

**Chapter 6 - Obstructions**

Kiri awoke with a start to see Rab staring down at her. She was extremely disoriented and had very little memory of the events with the Borg after she had slipped into her trance. She jolted upright and tried to climb out of the bed, but Rab gently put his hand on her shoulder to keep her from getting up.

"Easy now. You've been out for an hour," he told her, checking various diagnostics and readings. "I imagine you'll be a bit wobbly at first, but you don't seem to have suffered any permanent damage," he added reassuringly.

"Permanent damage from what?" she asked, looking to where Khan had just entered the Med Bay. He had been waiting impatiently for Rab to signal him when Kiri regained consciousness.

Khan had a distinctly different look in his eye now, the way one might look when one discovers that one has been inadvertently housing a nuclear warhead in the closet.

"Did you know you could could do that?" he asked her, coming close enough to look directly into her eyes for any sign of deceit.

"Do what?" she said, agitated at people asking her questions when she couldn't focus. "What happened after the Borg were beamed off the ship?" she asked, searching her own memories for the missing details but finding nothing but fleeting images.

Khan and Rab looked at each other, and there was an unspoken agreement that Kiri really didn't know that she had disabled the Borg ship.

Rab related the events with the Borg and they watched Kiri's reaction. Surprise, horror, relief, all flashed across her face, but no sign of deception. He left out the part about Karen. That would wait until later when she was calmer.

"It's unbelievable that you can effect matter on that scale with your mind," he whispered. "I mean, quantum physicists have been pointing to this for centuries, but to see it manifest, well…it's a real privilege!"

"And you never knew the extent of your abilities?" pressed Khan, still eyeing her with careful consideration.

"No!" breathed Kiri emphatically. "I was always being told to control and limit them. Most of the time it was _forbidden_ to use them, and I was punished if I did…" she recoiled at the memory. Those memories at least were in tact. Indelible. She slouched defensively, and tried to push away the hurtful memories of the past that had flooded into the vacuum left by her telekinetic fit.

"Leave it to humanity to obstruct greatness," sighed Rab, his arms folded over his chest, regarding Kiri now with a mixture of awe and pity.

"If she has no _memory_ of her manipulation of the Borg ship then is it possible she had no _control_ over it either?" asked Khan, pacing around her bed as if looking at an animal at the zoo. "A lack of control could be dangerous to us all," he added.

Rab considered this carefully before speaking. "She did exercise some control at least when she disabled the Borg drones and not us. Only _their_ systems were interrupted, not ours," he continued. "If she truly had no control, I would think there would have been a lot more collateral damage." He finished thoughtfully.

Khan nodded and came closer to Kiri as Rab busied himself about the lab. It seemed like he wanted to reach out to her, to touch her and reassure her, but the habit of long personal denial won out. He simply stood there, watching the emotions cross her face that he had felt countless times in his life; disorientation, loneliness, fear, a sense of unappreciated power flowing through him, anger. They were all mirrored on her beautiful face but he was still powerless to acknowledge his feelings.

So he did the only thing he knew how to do, which was to take command of something, of anything, of everything.

"Rabinesh, see what you can do to help her figure out the limits of her abilities…carefully," he added, unnecessarily. "I have a feeling we're going to need them again before we reach M'weru."

And with that, he strode out of the MedBay barking orders at everyone, just for something to distract him from the very uncomfortable jolt of desire in his stomach.


	7. Chapter 7 - Poker Faces

**Chapter 7 - Poker Faces**

"I'm out," said Yazmeen in disgust as she threw down her cards on the table.

"I still think we should be playing _strip_ poker," said Alan, grinning at her lasciviously.

Yazmeen returned his stare boldly, "You wish," she teased. "You know the Captain runs a tight ship," she admonished him.

"I'll bet that's not all that's tight," he said looking pointedly at her crotch. Yazmeen tsked at him and threw a poker chip at his head, which he caught with hyper reflexes and threw into his growing pile. "Thanks for that," he said jauntily.

"Can we just play cards here?" cut in Ming, whose normally stoic disposition was being sorely tried by her crew mates' flirting.

"Yeah," agreed Kiri, who was amused at the scene. "You're making me blush," she added in mock embarrassment.

"Yeah, right," shot back Alan good-naturedly.

It had been three days since the Borg incident, and everyone on the ship seemed to be warming to Kiri's presence. It was hard not to like her. She was intelligent, funny and curious, as well as being generally easy to get along with. She did have a knack for winning people over, a skill she had developed in the Institute, a skill which continued to be valuable.

While Kiri had tried to smooth things over with Karen, the augment had settled into an icy politeness, not interacting with her any more than was strictly necessary, and not engaging her in any conversation not required. Carl was his usual withdrawn creepy self.

Khan was a little harder to figure out. Kiri felt that he was avoiding her somewhat, but she wasn't sure why. Still, when he did interact with her, he was way more relaxed than he had been, and even smiled now and then. On one occasion, he had even laughed, and the sight of it caught Kiri's breath. She knew that he rarely let his guard down, so it was a gift to be able to witness first hand. When he laughed, the hard lines were erased from his face, and she was surprised at its youthfulness. His face, usually so stern, was beautiful when at peace. His laugh was deep and resonant, like his voice, and it made Kiri's belly quiver at its sensual quality. She had always felt he was attractive, but it was at that precise moment of his vulnerability when she realized she _wanted_ him. Perhaps it was even something more than just sexual desire.

Kiri was daydreaming again about what Khan might be like in bed when she realized that her attention had lapsed.

"Well, are you in or out?" asked Ming, annoyed at her lack of focus.

"Oh, sorry," said Kiri, coming our of her reverie. "I'll see your 10 and raise you 20," she said flippantly, anteing up.

"Oooooh," cooed Alan. "She's either got a big hand or she's bluffing," he speculated, looking at her through narrowed eyes. He was thwarted by her outstanding poker face - she had long ago mastered the art of masking her emotions. Such a thing was utterly necessary for someone like her…

Alan's brows furrowed when she did not display any of the tell tale signs that might give her tactics away.

"Hmmmm," he mused, putting his cards over his mouth.

"Just fucking play!" barked Ming in an uncharacteristic display of impatience.

"Alright, alright," said Alan, startled by her shortness. But Ming gave a surreptitious wink to Kiri to let her know she was just trying to rattle the pilot's cage and force his hand more quickly.

"I call," he said, pretending to be wounded by Ming's tone. "three jacks," he displayed his cards proudly.

"Damn it," said Ming, throwing down her two pairs and taking a swig of water.

Alan raised his glass, but it wasn't water. He was indulging in a glass of bourbon from a bottle he had stowed away.

"You'd better be careful with that," warned Yazmeen. "We need to be functional in case the Borg come back."

Alan chugged down the rest of his glass in defiance.

"We'll just have Miss Kiri here freeze their Borg asses again," he said, motioning to Kiri, who was biding her time while they played out their hands.

"Glad to oblige," she answered. She smiled mischievously and laid her cards out smugly, presenting them with a flush in diamonds.

"Son of a bitch!" cursed Alan, genuinely surprised by her trump. He shook his head in disbelief as she raked in the chips. Yazmeen laughed hysterically at Alan's discomfiture and Ming had a satisfied smile on her lips, even though she had lost. It was fun to see Alan bested, card shark that he was.

"I can be a good loser," announced Alan, standing up and unzipping his fly.

"Aw c'mon," shouted Ming, looking away. "This isn't strip poker!" she admonished. "No one wants to see _that_ ," she added acerbically.

"Speak for yourself," said Yazmeen slyly. Alan wasted no time in taking advantage of Yazmeen's randy mood. He linked arms with her and dragged her away to his private quarters.

"I hate to lose and run, but this is better than winning at poker," he said, kissing Yazmeen's neck. She tittered at the attention and leaned into him.

"Well, we all know where _they_ _'_ _re_ going," said Ming dryly.

"No listening at the door," yelled Alan from a distance as they rounded the corner and disappeared for the rest of the evening.

Kiri gathered up her chips in a cup and helped to put away the cards and dishes. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy. Odd she should feel that way while on the run from Starfleet with a group of genetically altered criminals, evading hostile aliens along the way. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Just out of curiosity," she asked Ming distractedly, "Who's flying the ship?"

"The Captain is taking a shift to give Alan a break," answered Ming. "He gets punch drunk when he's at the helm for too long. The ship pretty much flies itself unless there's a problem," she added.

Kiri nodded. On an impulse, she decided to bring Khan a cup of coffee. He might appreciate the pick-me-up, and if not, then maybe he would at least appreciate the gesture. Watching Yazmeen and Alan flirting had made her own body ache with desire. Not that she expected anything to happen with Khan. She was sure had had looked at her body in appreciation, but he had never acted on it with her, or anyone else. She'd have to ask Ming or Yazmeen about that. If there was someone in Khan's life, then throwing herself at him would be really off-putting. For now, she'd just try to get closer in more casual ways.

As she walked onto the bridge with the coffee cup, she began to doubt her decision. She felt positively stupid. Augments didn't really need sustenance as often as regular humans, which is not to say they didn't enjoy food and drink. He looked at her with a quizzical look that made her self conscious.

"I…just thought you might want a little caffeine," she said in explanation.

He took the cup and nodded his thanks, then took a sip before putting it in a cup holder on the side of the console in front of him. Non military ships always had more creature comforts.

Khan looked at her silently, pressing his lips together as if assessing whether or not he should start a conversation. Kiri thought desperately for something to say - "nice weather we've been having" not being an option.

Khan sensed her hesitation, and decided to rescue the situation. "You're getting along well with the crew, I see," he said looking at her and crossing his arms, determined this time to only look at her face and not give away his own recently surfacing desires.

Kiri nodded playing absently with her long silky braid, which hung in front of her. Her shirt was tight, revealing her shapely form. Khan willed himself again not to look, and shifted in his seat, keeping his expression guarded.

"Yes," she said, unable to keep her eyes from traveling to his full lips. God she'd like to taste those, she thought to herself. She blushed at her own thought and turned a bit to try and hide it.

"Now that we're getting to know each other, it's been OK," she said, cursing herself for not being more eloquent.

Normally, Khan would have looked at such a human, beautiful though she was, with great indifference, but for some reason, her blush touched him in a way that terrified him. It had been years…no, centuries…since he had allowed anyone to get close to him, and that had ended badly. To have feelings for someone made you vulnerable, and Khan Noonien Singh was not a man that suffered himself to be vulnerable.

He grew angry at himself for this perceived weakness, and stuffed his emotions back into the tiny bottle that he kept them in.

"Good," he said tersely, turning in his chair. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," he said, unmistakably dismissing her. He had to get her out of the room before he lost control and grabbed her and kissed her.

Kiri cold not have known that this internal conflict was going on in Khan's head, his face was so unreadable.

She was hurt by his dismissal, but determined not to show it. She did not want him to think that she was an emotionally weak human, unworthy of being with them, so she deployed the same poker face she did at the card table.

"Of course. Good night, Captain," she said, nodding her head crisply and leaving the bridge quickly, before any emotional turmoil might make its way to the surface.

He looked after her with a lump in his throat which he despised as a weakness, knowing he had probably insulted her at the very least, still not understanding that his capacity to love was one of the few noble qualities that he possessed.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Horizon

**Chapter 8 - The** _ **Horizon**_

The next day, Kiri reported to the Med Bay for her daily 'exercises' as prescribed by Rabinesh. She especially liked the meditation exercises he had shown her. She'd never really embraced meditation as taught by the doctors at the Institute, because they had always focused on breathing techniques which just made Kiri want to hyperventilate. Rab had introduced her to an ancient Earth form of meditation called Vipassana, where the practitioner watched the events of their own mind, trying to stay aware of their mental processes and not be carried away by thoughts and daydreams. This appealed to her immensely. She never realized just how squirrelly and undisciplined her mind was until she did this. Rab also helped her focus her powers on very specific things around the ship, things that hopefully wouldn't wreak too much havoc.

As a joke, she had focused specifically on stopping the flow of urine when she had seen Alan entering a lavatory. She had managed to stop the flow mid-pee, and was sent into fits of hysterics when she heard him cursing in the bathroom. She released the flow and he finished, but she never had the heart to tell him what she'd done. Perhaps meanly, she let him think there was something wrong with him. Of course he came to Rab for help, not wanting any problems with his beloved penis. Kiri did tell Rab in confidence what she had done, but he wasn't so amused at the prank.

"He's fine, but you didn't know if it could have caused permanent damage to his system," warned Rab. "Please be careful doing things like that to living tissue."

He was right of course, and Kiri did feel bad in retrospect. But a small part of her chafed at being scolded for using her ability. It brought back such bad childhood memories.

When they were done, Kiri decided to go to the observation area and sit. She had no crew duties, so at times she felt unnecessary. She hadn't spoken to Khan one-on-one again since the coffee incident. She felt somewhat humiliated that he had spurned her. She wasn't used to men not responding to her. She was determined not to let Khan see how he had effected her, so she remained cool and detached around him, but not unpleasant. It was the same way she had acted around the doctors at the Institute when she didn't want them to know how much something bothered her.

As she walked out of the Med Bay, she caught sight of Carl bent over one of the consoles. She wondered what business he had there, but it wasn't really her place to ask. He might just be fixing some system, but she could have sworn that he looked surprised and awkward when she caught sight of him. Recovering quickly, he looked at her coldly for a second or two before looking back to his console. There was a dangerous glint to Carl's eye, or so she thought. She would mention it to Rab the next time she saw him, but for now, she shrugged it off as Carl's usual hostility.

She was in the hallway on her way to the observation area when the klaxon sounded.

"Long range scanners have picked up a ship!" came Alan's voice over the ship wide intercom. "Battle stations!" he yelled.

Everyone scrambled to their various stations, and Kiri, who had no assigned station, raced to the bridge in case it was another Borg ship in need of immobilizing. She wouldn't be so slow on the uptake this time…

"Shields up," barked Khan in full battle mode. "Can you get a visual yet?" he asked.

"Not just yet, sir," answered Alan, now very serious when the situation warranted. "A few more seconds….here," he said switching on the view screen.

They had been prepared to see another Borg scout, but they _hadn_ _'_ _t_ been prepared for what appeared on the screen.

"It's the _SC Horizon_ ," said Alan, in almost a whisper. Everyone on the bridge looked horror- stricken at the sight of the battered Star Cruiser. It was completely gutted by weapons fire and hung lifeless and dark, surrounded by the cold vastness of space.

"Life signs?" asked Khan, gripping the arms of his captain's chair, his finger nails digging into the leather in anger.

Yazmeen looked intently at her console, scanning it several times to make sure her readings were accurate. She sat back in her chair, stunned, and answered weakly, "No, sir. None."

There were gasps from the various crew members, and many put their heads down in a sign of respect and despair.

"You knew this ship?" Kiri asked quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone's grief, but wanting to know what the hell was going on.

Ming swallowed but never lost her emotional control. "She was to rendezvous with us at M'weru," she said softly, not taking her eyes off of the crippled vessel. "There should have been ten more of us on board," she said.

"Names?" asked Khan tersely, obviously struggling to keep his rage in check.

Yazmeen pulled up a roster of names on her screen and displayed them on a screen to the side of the main viewer so everyone could see them.

There was utter silence on the bridge as people scanned the names. They had all been a crew of seventy two once, and had endured many trials together. There wasn't a name on the list that they weren't all very close to.

"I'm so sorry," breathed Kiri, feeling the great sadness that pervaded the crew.

Khan did not register her condolences, but forced himself to read every name on the crew manifest, recalling their names, their faces, ranks and as much of their personal history as he knew. He stared into his grief unflinchingly, until it became twisted into wrath.

Without warning Khan let out a primal, guttural yell of unadulterated rage. He was terrifying in this aspect and Kiri could hardly resolve this version of Khan with the one she fantasized about. He took some instrument from the console near his hand and threw it blindly and with such a force that it embedded itself into the wall. He took several more ragged breaths before composing himself enough to continue running his ship.

"Other vessels in the vicinity?" he snapped, the crew now coming to life again at the possible threat of another attack. Alan scanned with every sensor in the array before declaring, "None, sir. No sign of any ship."

Everyone visibly relaxed a tick, but Khan wanted answers. "Scan the debris," he ordered. "Can we tell who did this?" he asked, staring into the image of the wrecked ship as if willing it back to life.

Carl had been immersed in his console doing analysis on the various debris. He never looked up from it, but said in a whisper, "Borg weaponry." He took a deep breath before adding, "My brother was on that ship."

Kiri didn't speak aloud but thought irreverently to herself, "Jesus Christ, another nasty Anstett sibling?" She hated Carl and Karen, and had no wish to meet another of their family. But she wouldn't have to. No one had survived the attack. She heard Karen sob somewhere in the background.

"Was it the same Borg ship we encountered?" asked Khan, his mind now whirring with all possible outcomes.

"There's no way to tell that," said Carl, his voice thick with grief.

"Can we get life support functioning?" asked Khan, now getting out of his seat and pacing.

"No," said Alan glumly. "There are hull breaches everywhere. No power."

"I want a boarding party. We need to find out if there are…bodies, or if they were taken to be assimilated," said Khan raggedly.

"I'd like to go," said Kiri, surprising even herself.

"What value could you possibly add," said Khan cruelly, not feeling anything but animosity towards outsiders at the moment.

Karen, who was standing on the edge of the bridge deck felt a smug satisfaction at Kahn's meanness towards Kiri.

But Kiri wasn't to be put off by Khan's grief. She knew he wasn't himself. She knew what it was like to lash out at people when you were angry…even at people you love.

"Because I can move very large objects with my mind," she countered, perhaps somewhat aggressively in response to Khan's volatility.

Khan blinked and considered this for a minute. "Alright," he said more calmly, seeing the potential need to shift debris on the disabled ship. "Yes, you can come."

And with that, Khan, Kiri, Rab and Carl suited up in environmental gear for an away mission to the Horizon, leaving the others to wait in unbearable anticipation, all dreading what they would find there.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Last Stand

**Chapter 9 - The Last Stand**

The team beamed over to the Horizon in their suits, fully equipped with environmental and gravity controls. They beamed directly to the bridge, as it would have been the central point of command. It was an eerie scene which told of a violent assault. Huge beams lay across the captain's chair and many more were scattered atop various control panels. The view screen had been completely obliterated and there was now a huge hole in the hull showing the vacuum of space.

"Set up a temporary shield to cover that gap," said Khan, his voice slightly altered by the microphones in their helmets' communication system.

Carl set up a device that threw up a small shield that acted as a temporary patch in the hull, making it safer for them to move about the bridge. Kiri had never seen such devastation, and she swallowed hard, trying to keep her panic in check.

She hadn't seen any bodies yet, and she hoped now that she could handle the sight of a violent death without puking in her suit. She hadn't really thought that through when she volunteered. Khan was able to push aside the beam on the captain's chair by himself, his augmented strength being equal to that task, but the chair was empty. Everyone sifted through the rubble, but no one had yet found a body.

They tried to access several com panels but they were fried beyond use. Khan would have liked to retrieve as much data as possible, but the Borg had been thorough and systematic in their destruction. There was a large pile of rubble in the corner that they could not move. Khan looked to Kiri who nodded.

She had never questioned her ability to perform her skill before, but now, under pressure, she hoped she could do it. She calmed her mind as best as she could and focused on the debris. She couldn't explain _how_ it worked, but she thought about moving the heavy beams. She visualized it in sort of an abstract way that she couldn't explain, just as one doesn't think about the subtleties of breathing for it to happen. The beams twisted and fell like sticks, revealing smaller bits of wreckage, including a data console with a memory device still in it. Carl waded in and plucked the dusty device from the slot. He held it up to the group.

"Maybe we can retrieve the ship's logs from this and see what happened," he said clutching it as if it contained the very essence of his brother. It might at least show the nature of his fate, although given Borg history, that would not give him much comfort or closure.

"Split up and search the ship for bodies and anything we can salvage," ordered Khan. "You're with me," he added pointing to Kiri, who really didn't know her way around the ship or know what was salvageable.

She followed him up a corridor, having to climb over obstructions awkwardly in their suits, Kiri having a little more difficulty than Khan with the grav boots. She was determined to manage without complaint, and forged on looking into each room, every one destroyed. They found nothing salvageable. The Borg had took any and all useful equipment.

In the Captain's ready room, they found a blackened but otherwise unharmed plaque on the floor with the moniker SC Horizon etched into it. Khan silently took it and slipped it into his knapsack. Kiri made no comment, but thought she noticed his eyes moisten. He turned away from her before she could be sure, but she was glad to see once again that he could be vulnerable too. It meant, there was still some part of him that was human, and could experience compassion. For a moment, she recalled what Vega had said about 'correcting their flaws.' If Vega had really been able to curb Khan's anger and arrogance, he would just about be a god.

She followed him down the corridor which ended in a thick blast door, probably to some cargo bay. The lock was blasted, locking it shut. Khan tried to force it open with his hands, but it wouldn't budge. When he had spent his strength, he yielded to Kiri.

"Can you do it?" he asked.

"I'll try," she said, reaching out with her mind for the locking mechanism. She felt resistance, and pushed. The doors moved a bit but didn't open. She walked towards it blotting all else from her mind. She pushed harder and the doors buckled but held. Kiri took a deep breath and felt her mind click into place and channeled all of her energy towards the doors until they blew in. She stood in the middle of the wreckage while the dust particles swirled oddly in the airless room, not settling to the floor because of the lack of gravity. Khan didn't move, but stood watching her.

Kiri's body was arched backwards as if in the throes of an orgasm, her mouth open as if in ecstasy and her eyes were wide and raised upward. Khan was mesmerized by the raw power that was coursing through her, almost perverse in its aspect. He was attracted to it, and awed by it. He _wanted_ it for himself. He wanted _her_ for himself. He could not tear his eyes away from her.

Rabinesh interrupted the spell. "We haven't found a single thing," came his voice over their headsets. Khan was the first to stir.

"Meet us at cargo bay 3," he responded, moving towards the newly opened threshold. On his way in, he put his hand on Kiri's arm. The effect on him was like an electric shock as pangs of desire jolted through his stomach. Kiri's face was now composed and self possessed as she looked at him, clearly registering his desire and clearly transmitting her own. It was as if the surge of power had cleared away any lingering doubts and inhibitions, and she had come into her own, no longer the scared innocent victim. She was a woman with power.

No one before her had ever been able to hold onto to a power this great without becoming twisted by it. Power corrupted good people and perverted good intentions. It had done so with many of the augments.

When Carl and Rab rounded the corner, Kiri was still standing there. Khan quickly removed his hand from her arm and proceeded into the cargo bay with the others. Carl gave her a quizzical look and was disconcerted by the dangerous glint in Kiri's eyes. It was an unmistakable, unvoiced warning. _Don_ _'_ _t fuck with me_.

Carl's skin crawled as he edged his way around her. The other augments he could more or less trust. They had built that trust over years of campaigns, weeding out the untrustworthy along the way. But Kiri, he felt was an abomination. An unknown. And that unknown must be eliminated. He lowered his own eyes lest Kiri detect his intentions. Who knew how far her psychic abilities went? He would have to be careful with this one…and it looked like Khan might be getting close to her. He would not follow a leader who was compromised by an abomination.

A silence fell over the four of them as they stood in the cargo bay entrance. There were scars from laser blasts everywhere, most seeming to emanate from the center of the bay.

Kiri could hear everyone's accelerated breathing through their helmet comlinks.

"Some of them must have trapped in here," said Khan, his voice ragged with emotion.

There wasn't much in the way of rubble inside, in fact, the bay was mostly empty of contents. There was, however, a huge gaping hole in the outer wall. Without their grav boots they would have all been at risk of floating out into open space.

As they looked around them, Rab was the first to notice a symbol scrawled on the wall over the door behind them. It had been scored into the metal with lasers. It was a rough rendering of the symbol the augments had taken as their own, and it was meant to serve as a sign that they had no intention of being assimilated by the Borg.

"Christ!" he exclaimed shaking his head. "I hope for their sakes they weren't taken!"

Carl had moved closer to the breach in the hull to examine it. "This was made from the inside!" he exclaimed. "I wonder if they blew it out themselves in the end?" His lips pressed together, but that was the only sign of his emotion, or rather, of him holding back his emotions.

Khan hit his com badge to signal Alan back on the _S_ _ā_ _dhaka_ _._ "Scan the area for organic compounds consistent with human anatomy," he ordered.

Rab shook his head. "Even an augment couldn't survive that," he said sadly.

"No, but if they are out there somewhere we may be able to recover their bodies and get some closure," answered Khan scowling. They scoured the bay for any more clues but nothing was forthcoming.

"The Borg don't kill for killing's sake," said Khan. "They assimilate people into drones. It's most likely that our people blew the wall out in a last ditch effort to escape that fate." He looked at the gaping hole in the wall and shook his head. "They made their last stand here," he said quietly. There was a long silence as they stood and remembered their crew mates.

"Four to beam back," said Khan at last, reluctant to leave the ship. These had been _his_ people. They had been _his_ responsibility and it had been _his_ deal that led them here, and it had failed. As the transporter began beaming them out, Kiri chanced a look at Khan, whose face was now showing the intensity of the loss, any sign of their momentary connection gone.

By the time they had beamed back onto the _S_ _ā_ _dhaka_ he had mastered himself totally. He stalked off the transporter pad like a hunting lion and unsuited quickly, raking his fingers through his thick dark hair, which was now tousled and sweaty and very unlike his usual sleek look.

Carl stripped his suit off quickly, anxious to see if there was any recoverable data on the disk they had found. He made a conscious effort to avoid looking at Kiri who was an object of intense dislike for him now. She was ruining everything. He had envisioned a life on M'weru where he was a trusted right hand man to Khan, and his sister had a place of importance in their new regime. But Kiri was getting close to Khan and the some of the others now, and she would blind them with her strange powers.

She was too dangerous to be allowed into their inner circle, and he would stop her at any cost. Karen would help him with the plan he was formulating. He thought he had found a possible way to make her less powerful…which meant less desirable. Without her power, she would be useless to Khan. Only _their_ power was pure, he thought to himself jealously. He smiled to himself as he cruelly envisioned her downfall from grace.


	10. Chapter 10 - Accusations

**Chapter 10 - Accusations**

Kiri fumbled to remove her environmental suit before following them to the bridge where they were to attempt to retrieve the data on the disc.

"Alan, did you find any organic materials in your scan indicative of human life forms?" asked Khan, taking his seat.

"None, sir," answered Alan, with a solemnity that was uncharacteristic of him. Khan spun his chair around to face the science officer. "Carl. The disc we found. Is it readable?" he asked tensely.

Everyone grew silent as Carl slipped the disc in the console and tried to access it.

"The disc is damaged," he said, "but I think I can get a few things from it." He scowled into his console and furiously pressed buttons.

"I have the sensor readings they took of the Borg ship," he announced. "I can compare them to the ship's signatures we took. We should at least be able to tell if it was the same Borg ship we encountered."

"Good. Logs?" clipped Khan, staring straight ahead at the image of the damaged Horizon on the view screen. His hair was in disarray and his eyes were deadly.

"Only one is partially viable," he said hesitantly, as if fearing what was on it. "Audio only," he added.

"Play it," said Khan, brutally efficient.

Static and unmistakable screams emanated from the speakers, causing the _S_ _ā_ _dhaka_ crew to visibly flinch…except for Khan, who sat as unmovable as a stone statue. He was like a Greek god captured in a moment of fury.

"…Borg…" came a man's voice. "No way to escape…weapons ineffective…rather die than be taken…crew…beaming…space." Silence.

Kiri felt like a voyeur watching other peoples' grief and didn't know where to put herself.

"There's a match on the signatures," said Carl after a moment. "It was the same ship we encountered." His breathing quickened as anger sparked in him. "The Borg must have taken them even as they tried to escape the Horizon. They're gone," he said in a whisper. He whirled around suddenly, "And _she_ killed them!" he yelled advancing on Kiri, his face twisted in rage.

"Wh…what?" she gasped. "I didn't kill any of them! I just immobilized their ship!" She was horrified at the accusation, but other members of the crew intervened.

Ming restrained him. "Carl, she didn't destroy the ship…we did!" she tried to reason with him. He struggled against her restraint.

"You killed my brother!" he said irrationally.

At this point Khan sprung from his chair to intervene. "None of us knew our people were aboard the Borg ship, Carl," he said in a low dangerous tone. "And if they were, you would not have recognized them. How could _she_ have known that?" he asked tilting his head towards Kiri's direction.

But Carl was inconsolable in his anger and grief and he was looking for an outlet, which Kiri conveniently filled.

"She's an abomination!" he yelled, spittle now coming from his mouth. "She _could_ have known, with her psychic abilities."

Khan came within an inch of the man's face, his eyes burning holes into Carl's. " _ **I**_ …gave the order to fire," he said, challenging Carl to criticize that command, but the man didn't bite. He knew he was no match for Khan and stood down.

Kiri was horrified. Did they really think she was to blame for the loss of the Horizon's crew?

It was ridiculous, but she had often been accused and ostracized because of her abilities in the past. All of the pain came bubbling back up of past instances in which she had been punished whenever something fell or broke, and of people making up stories about her using her powers on them when she hadn't. Anger sparked in her now, and for a split second, her mind reached out to Carl, wanting to put an end to this loathsome man, wanting to choke him. She advanced on him, turning the tables, her eyes now ablaze with indignation.

Carl's own eyes widened when he saw her intent, but she willed herself to stop in time before she did anything to him. She just stood opposite him defiantly, Khan still acting as a blockade between the two.

Carl stocked away in fury. "This isn't over," he spat.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" asked Yazmeen, watching him leave the bridge in the direction of his quarters.

Rabinesh had been silently watching the whole episode play out and now came forward.

"I think he's up to something," he said quietly, making sure Carl was out of ear shot. "I saw him earlier in the Med Bay accessing medical records. I can't tell what he's up to, but I'm going to guess it has something to do with Kiri."

Everyone looked in her direction and she suddenly became extremely self conscious and agitated.

"I should have known this would never work out," she hissed. She moved to storm off the bridge to her own quarters. "I'll leave as soon as it can be arranged," she added in a satisfyingly even tone, projecting all of the strength and power she was capable of.

To his intense irritation, Khan felt a distinct skip in his heart beat when Kiri said she was leaving. How could he let her effect him like this? Then again, why _shouldn_ _'_ _t_ he? Didn't he deserve some happiness or satisfaction after all this time?

"Alan, you have the bridge," he commanded as he strode after her.

There were a lot of raised eyebrows as the crew watched Khan go after Kiri, but no one spoke their opinions out loud. No one dared to.


	11. Chapter 11 - Redemption

**Chapter 11 - Redemption**

Kiri punched the door mechanism to her quarters not caring if it was damaged. As soon as she was alone she unleashed her anger and hurt. She tipped things over with her powers just because she could, and smashed a few items with her hands just for the physical satisfaction of it.

The hurt was more than she could bear right now. Just when she had started to feel as if she might belong somewhere, it was ripped from her yet again. She would never belong _anywhere_. She thought of the ship she was on and of Carl, who had ruined it all, and a small part of her mind knew she had to be very careful. She had to maintain control over herself or risk destroying them all.

Khan knew she would be dangerous in her volatility, and was only a few seconds behind her. He forced his way in to find her in the middle of a wrecked room, angry tears spilling onto her cheeks. Not only did it not diminish her beauty, but made him want to protect her that much more.

He approached her warily, talking to her in a calm voice. "Kiri, no one blames you for what happened. None of us knew our crew may have been aboard that Borg ship. I ordered it to be destroyed not you."

He came closer to her, very slowly, very gracefully. She made no move to stop him and soon he was close enough to touch her. She breathed in his musky scent and it thrilled her, blinding her to the tragedies of the day, acting like an aphrodisiac. She grew very still.

"It's OK," he whispered into her ear, his low, sensual voice entrancing her. She found herself in his embrace. He pulled her to his chest and she buried her face in it. His hand was on the back of her head, stroking her silky auburn hair. Her face came up to his neck and she kissed it softly and tentatively, waiting for his reaction. He pulled her tighter towards him and raised her face to his.

His mouth covered hers as he kissed her intensely and deeply. A thrill ran from her stomach to her loins and she felt the warmth and wetness flood in.

Khan's emotions were in such turmoil he could no longer sort them out or control them. His physical desire was now a conduit for all of them, desire and grief alike, and he felt something give inside of him as barriers and restraints were dropped.

His raw sexual need manifested in an erection, which strained at his pants and pressed into Kiri. She let out a soft gasp as she pressed into it harder, wanting his manhood inside of her.

She was the first to begin removing his clothing. She undid his pants which he stepped out of neatly while unzipping her shirt. Unable to manage her bra clasps, he ripped it from her body roughly, not pausing before cupping one breast in his hand and teasing the nipple of the other with his tongue. Her nipples hardened in response, and she ran her fingers through his thick dark hair, basking in the sheer joy of their closeness.

Kiri groaned with pleasure, thrilled at the roughness of it, almost coming from the sheer excitement of the encounter. Khan's raw power was now barely contained. He wanted her more than anything, and now that he knew she wanted him, there was no reason to hold back.

He moved her backwards to the bed and pushed her down onto it, remaining standing while he removed his underwear. Her mouth opened with anticipation, the sight of his throbbing member sending her into a spiral of longing. He grabbed her pants and pulled them off quickly, kneeling so that his head was between her legs. He licked her, teasing and probing, but not letting her orgasm. He wanted that to happen later.

She moaned louder, her breath coming in quick gasps of pleasure. She arched her back, wanting him to touch her clit again with his tongue, but he wouldn't do it. He wanted to play with her, to bring her to the edge of orgasm and then tease her more. Make her beg for him.

He climbed onto her and her legs wrapped around him, pulling him close to her. He didn't enter her right away, so she reached down to explore him, teasing him as he had her, lightly touching him until his cock throbbed more. His low gasps thrilled her as much as anything, hearing him at his most vulnerable, at his most real and honest moment. Khan, the remote and untouchable man, was hers.

When she could stand it no longer, she whispered so urgently for him, begging him until he entered her. She cried out with intense pleasure as he measured his thrusts slowly at first. The waves of pleasure felt like orgasms to her, but they were just an echo of what was to come. She moved her hips in time with his, and in unison they made love, oblivious to everything else in the universe except themselves. Khan began to thrust faster and faster, so engulfed in pleasure he felt his heart would explode. He smelled her and wanted to taste her again, but their pace was too great and he was on the edge of release. He became hyper aware of the wet suction noises they made as they moved together and that made him insane with lust. His body shuddered with excitement.

"Oh, God!" Kiri exploded in orgasm as waves after throbbing waves washed over her, from her clit to her belly. Her nipples tingled and she arched he back to submit to the intense pleasure. Her fingers dug into his back, another reassurance of her ecstasy.

Khan yelled out and Kiri felt the pulsing of his seminal fluid releasing into her, clasping her legs around his body even harder, as if not able to get enough of him. His cry of release was primal, and never before had Kiri felt that sense of complete satisfaction and contentment.

He remained inside of her for a time, whispering her name, the low sensuality of his voice sending more waves through her body. He kissed her face and neck, tenderly now, slowly. And then their eyes met, and as if for the first time they saw each other, all of their pretenses and fears stripped away. His piercing blue eyes were utterly soft now with the pupils dilated, searching her deep green eyes and finding in them acceptance and understanding. It was as if they had each found redemption in the arms of each other, redemption through the act of love.


	12. Chapter 12 - Power Corrupts

The next morning when Khan came out of Kiri's quarters, he didn't care if anyone saw him or not. Kiri was _his_ woman now, and they would have to accept that, but the hallways were empty. He was going to put an end to Carl's belligerence towards Kiri. He would give the man an ultimatum and press his will upon him if he had to. He hit his com badge.

"Carl, report to my ready room."

There was no response.

"Anstett, can you read me?" Still no response.

"Dammit!" he cursed. "Computer, locate Carl Anstett."

"Carl Anstett is in the Shuttle Bay," answered the computer.

Khan strode to the shuttle bay to find it locked against him.

"Computer, manual override, K38 Alpha 1," he barked.

"Manual override has been disabled," the computer answered in a maddeningly monotone voice. Khan felt his earlier sense of contentment slipping away fast.

"Yazmeen, secure the shuttle and prevent its departure at any cost," he yelled into his com badge.

"Aye, sir," came her voice.

He tried forcing the doors open, but it was no use. They were completely jammed somehow. He knew someone who could remedy that situation.

"Kiri, come to the shuttle bay…I need you," he added, weighing the risks of bringing her into this. They had a hostile malcontent barricaded in the shuttle bay. But then he remembered that she could handle any sort of trouble and he needn't be so overprotective…she had defeated the Borg for Christ's sake.

Kiri arrived a bit out of breath just as Ming rounded the corner, running.

"What's going on?" she asked, seeing the expression on Khan's face and knowing something was wrong.

"Carl's barricaded himself in, I think. He won't respond to my com signal and the manual door override has been disabled."

Ming's eyes narrowed. "Where's Karen?" she asked, ever alert to the subtleties of a situation.

"Karen, this is Khan. Come in," he said impatiently, not really expecting a reply. He was surprised when he got one.

"This is Karen," came the voice over their com badges. "Can't get in? Why don't you have your little bitch open the doors then?" Her voice sounded altered, as if she had been taking narcotics.

"Open this fucking door now or you'll regret it!" Khan spat in fury, not used to being defied.

His venom was met with silence. The doors remained shut. He nodded to Kiri and stood back, waiting for her to execute the same raw power that had so fascinated him on the Horizon.

Kiri stepped forward, relaxing her mind, reaching out to _feel_ the door. Nothing clicked within her mind. She took a deep breath and calmed herself to try again. She cast her thoughts out to the door mechanism, willing it to unlock, but like the door, her mind remained closed.

"Shit!" she cursed. She bored a hole through the door lock with her eyes, but her powers did not ignite as before. There was no tell tale 'pop', no locking in to her target. There was nothing.

Khan's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "What's wrong?" he asked, perhaps too roughly.

"I don't know!" shot back Kiri, equally frustrated and just a bit scared. She had only ever had problems keeping her powers in check. She had _never_ had problems using them before."

"What's the matter?" came Karen's voice over the intercom, "Can't _perform_?" she laughed and it sounded almost diabolical in its distortion. Clearly she had self medicated. "What's the _point_ of you, then?" she asked harshly.

Rab came running around the corner with a tricorder in his hand, and was clearly surprised when he came upon Khan, Kiri and Ming all standing there, clearly agitated.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"The Anstett's have decided to revolt," said Khan in a clipped tone. "Karen and Carl have locked themselves in the shuttle bay. Kiri's having trouble opening it," he added.

"I should think so," said Rab, looking at his tricorder.

"Why?" asked Kiri, stepping towards Rab with a look of desperation on her face. "Why do you say that?"

Rab took a deep breath, pondering the best way to explain.

"I saw Carl at the Med Bay console yesterday, and it just seemed odd, so I traced back to see what data he had been accessing.

"And?" said Khan, clearly impatient.

"He was looking into Kiri's medical records at all of the scans and research that had been done on her," said Rab. "He was interested in the shift of electromagnetic energy that her brain gives off when she exercises her powers.

"What about it?" shouted Khan, wanting the short version of it all.

"Well, it seems he figured out a way to set up a kind of…dampening field that effectively interrupts it." He looked at Kiri with concern. "Are you feeling OK?" he asked.

"I guess so," answered Kiri. "Maybe a little dizzy, now that you mention it," she added, reaching for the wall as a support. Khan put an arm around her and guided her to the floor.

Rab knelt down beside her to check her vitals.

"Whatever they're doing, it's strongest in the shuttle bay," said Rab. "That's what I was following with the tricorder when I came upon you all."

Khan banged his fist ineffectively on the doors.

"Open the doors, NOW!" he commanded. "Or you're BOTH off this ship!" He wasn't sure he could make good on that thread. God knows what they had done to jam the outer bay doors.

Carl's voice now came over the speakers. He sounded hollow and icy. "The girl killed our brother and friends. We will not tolerate that abomination on this ship. She's a danger to us all, and you know it, Khan."

Khan stood breathing heavily, weighing the possible outcomes. They had gone well past the point of no return. As far as he was concerned, this was mutiny, punishable by death. But then again, they had been part of his crew for many centuries. He couldn't just throw that away without trying to resolve it peacefully.

"Carl, come out and we'll talk. Turn off the dampening field."

"Her powers are fallible. She's nothing to us," came the response in a snarl.

Kiri hadn't ever thought of it before. What _would_ she be to Khan without her powers? Would he still want to be with her or would she be little more than an insect? Self doubt gnawed at her.

She looked at Khan to try to get a read on him, and saw the painful indecision on his face. It was a hell of a position he was in right now, and she was partially responsible. She should never have agreed to come with Vega in the first place. Now that she knew she was in love with Khan, what the bloody hell was she supposed to do? She _wouldn_ _'_ _t_ leave to placate the Anstett assholes. Never.

She stood up with help from Rab. In that moment, her mind reached out, fueled by love and hate at the same time, a strange dichotomy of emotion, two polarizing forces spinning into one ball of energy. The electromagnetic field generated by her mind tripled at least, surging beyond the relatively small capacity of the dampening field. The doors began to shake and the lights on the lock began to flash wildly, until there was a deafening crack and the shuttle bay doors blew open.

Kiri stood stiffly, her body arcing with power and fury. Her eyes were barely recognizable now, hot with anger and smoldering with the fury at being _attacked_ as she perceived the dampening field.

Carl looked stupefied by their sudden explosive entrance. "How…?" he began, but when he saw the fury on Kiri's face he reached for a phaser. Kiri ripped it out of his hand with her telekinetic gift, pushing him flat against the wall. Karen shrieked and tried to get to a weapon, but Kiri cut off her vocal cords and began to choke the woman. Karen fell to her knees, her hands coming to her throat. It was an eerie scene, the two siblings being crushed by some invisible force, writhing and trying to scream but being unable to speak.

Khan actually feared for their lives and knew that he had to step in and do _something_.

He reached out to touch her arm, but she was crackling with power, and he felt an odd electrical shock when he got close. He withdrew his hand quickly.

"Kiri!" he yelled, trying to break her concentration. "Kiri, stop! Don't kill them!"

"Why not?" came her response, barely recognizable. Her voice was raspy and thick with the threat of violence, her lip curled in a sneer of contempt. Now it was Khan's turn to have difficulty in reconciling this Kiri to the woman he had made love to.

"Kiri…" he whispered. The soft call of her name did more than any shout could have. She turned to look at him and her eyes softened when they met his.

Alan and Yazmeen came up behind everyone, their weapons drawn, now alerted to the situation.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Yazmeen when she saw the siblings gasping in Kiri's psychic strangle hold.

Only when Ming and Yazmeen had stepped in to secure their weapons did she let the brother and sister go from her invisible grip.

"Remind me never to piss _you_ off!" said Alan taking in the incredulous scene.

Now that the burst of anger had receded, Kiri felt the dizziness returning.

Rab rushed into the room behind Ming and Yazmeen who had taken the Anstatts into their custody. "I need to shut down the dampening field. She'll feel better." He quickly found the device they had set up in the shuttle bay and powered it down. Kiri's head cleared immediately, as if someone had pulled a sheet from over her head.

"Thanks!" she said breathlessly, her senses returning to her.

"Take them to the brig," said Khan, watching Carl and Karen be lead away with a mixture of hardness and sadness on his face.

Yazmeen had Karen's hands tied behind her back and was leading her away. Karen stumbled as she passed them, a look of complete anguish on her face. "I loved you, Khan. You were supposed to love _me_!" she choked, beginning to cry. "Not _her,_ " she said motioning towards Kiri. "You were supposed to love me…" she finished weakly, her head hanging down in defeat.

Khan look appalled and surprised. He had never suspected she had harbored feelings of that kind towards him. He had never really paid that much attention to her. She was an able crewman, and that's how he had treated her, nothing more, nothing less.

Carl, led by Ming with his hands also tied behind his back, held his head up. His face was a mask again, his eyes as dead as a fish's. He was in his most terrifying aspect this way, inhuman and icy.

Kiri felt repulsed when she looked at him, this man who had wanted her dead or gone. All it would take was a small flick of her mind to end him, but that might set Khan against her. With her initial fury gone, she felt less inclined to act on it. She met Carl's gaze and held it, matching his iciness with her own. Her eyes showed no fear, only contempt and hostility. His powers were puny next to hers, and she would not suffer losing Khan because of him.

Khan watched Kiri now with a creeping feeling of concern. Her face was contorted and held an unlovely expression. What was it Rab had said about genetically altered people with psychic abilities? Some hurt themselves and some went insane. They couldn't handle the power.

Dr. Leandro Vega had been right to pursue the correction of 'flaws' in the augments. The funny thing was that the augments never viewed _themselves_ as flawed. They each felt they could handle their own power. It was always _other_ people that couldn't handle it. And so it was with Khan as he began to wonder what would happen if Kiri continued to use her abilities. He never gave a second thought to using his own.


	13. Chapter 13 - Betrayal

**Chapter 13 - Betrayal**

Khan sat alone in a conference room waiting for the others to get there. With Carl and Karen in the brig and part of the Augment crew presumably destroyed with the Borg ship, Khan's mood was bleak. He nearly crushed the PADD in his hand out of sheer frustration for his circumstances. Who would not be bitter for being in cryo suspension for decades and then hunted like fugitives when they just wanted to make a life for themselves. Life had never been normal for the Augments and most recently, it couldn't even be called 'life' at all. The days of wanting supreme power over others had been bled from him, and all he wanted now was to breathe the free air again. He wanted to relax, study, perhaps write, create art, and dare he think it, start a family.

He thought of his time with Kiri and it scared him and thrilled him at the same time. This was something new to him and novelty was exciting to someone who had been alive for hundreds of years. But he couldn't dwell on his personal feelings for long as he was forced to deal with the mutiny on his own ship, and how they would proceed to M'weru. This was day eight of a two week trip, and they had a long way to go yet. Another encounter with a hostile force might prove fatal for them, especially without two of their critical crew to help man the ship.

Yazmeen and Alan were the first to arrive. They took their seats quietly, trying to assess Khan by his expression, but he sat stoney faced. He only nodded to them as they entered. Alan knew enough to refrain from levity when Khan was in a mood. Ming came in next gliding as silently as a cat, looking serious and lethal. Her nod was barely perceptible. She knew that tactically they could ill afford to lose the Anstetts right now. But their behavior was erratic and had to be dealt with. She liked Kiri and knew her value as an ally and a weapon, but they had only known her a few days. Not enough time to build up a sense of loyalty yet.

Rab came in distractedly looking at his PADD. His face was tense and he looked as if he had not slept. When he looked up from his device, they were all looking at him expectantly, as if he had some magical medical solution to their problem. In fact, he _did_ have a solution, but it was hardly magical. He took a seat next to Khan, noticing that Kiri was not present. He was going to ask where she was but thought better of it. Khan knew his own business, and he was their leader.

Khan pressed his lips together and looked around the room.

"Is there anyone here that disagrees with holding Karen and Carl in the brig?" he asked bluntly. "Speak your minds freely," he added earnestly, although his tone was not all that inviting.

No one came forward to disagree but Ming spoke first, never one to be afraid to voice her opinion.

"They have seemed unstable ever since they were taken out of stasis. Uncharacteristically so," she added thoughtfully.

Rab nodded his agreement.

"I think I can shed some light on that," he said, his expression solemn.

"I've done some bio scans on them since the incident in the shuttle bay." He looked down at his PADD as if hoping the information on it would change. He was reluctant to speak the next words.

"I think someone had been experimenting on them with psychopharmaceuticals," he said quietly.

Psychopharmaceuticals were drugs often given to psychiatric patients to diminish their symptoms.

Rab continued his explanation. "There is evidence of brain damage," he said softly, "which can result in permanent dementia, premature death and a variety of other brain disorders that can mimic mental illnesses."

He put his PADD down in from of him. "Most likely, it was our own Dr. Leandro Vega."

Khan blinked, taking in this information. "That is a violation of our basic human rights!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table. It wasn't the first time people had studied them and experimented on them without their permission. It seemed that they were thought of as 'property' and thus fair game to be used in research.

Khan gritted his teeth angrily. This shed a whole new light on Carl and Karen. They were no longer mutinous subversives. They were victims of the Federation machine. Technically, Vega wasn't Starfleet, but Khan was sure that he must have had _some_ connection. Otherwise, he couldn't have gained access to the Augments in the first place. It had been a huge gamble trusting him, but Khan was a shrewd judge of character, and he knew Vega had been egotistical and self-serving above all else.

They all looked at each other in disbelief, but there was also a general sense of relief. The Anstetts hadn't rebelled against their own after all. Not of their own free will, anyway.

"Is there any way to reverse the effects?" asked Khan, hopeful that he could have a full functioning crew again.

Rab hesitated. "There is something I can give them to try to reverse the effects. It's what Vega had been working on in the first place. It's what he wanted to 'fix' us with." He paused a moment before continuing. "Think of it as a chemical lobotomy," he finished, a look of disgust on his face.

They were utterly horrified at the thought of such a thing. Khan's jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth angrily.

"There's no chance they would be…normal after that?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," said Rab flatly. "They would still have their memories and be able to function at their daily tasks, but they won't be able to process emotions the same way they used to. They wouldn't experience anger ever again…or joy, or love."

To take away a person's sense of emotion was in effect to take away their humanity.

"Jesus," said Alan. "I hate to say it but they would almost be better off dead!"

He had spoken aloud what they had all been thinking but feared to say. Who would want to live like that? Little more than animated vegetables. What was life if there was no quality to it?

"Options?" said Khan after a moment.

Rab shook his head. "If we leave them as they are, they will most certainly deteriorate into a state of extreme psychosis. That would arguably be worse. They would be living in a constant state of agitation and fear."

Khan slammed his fist on the table again. "If Vega were alive I'd fucking kill him!" he swore vehemently.

"Maybe someday we will figure out a way to reverse the effects," said Rab sadly. "But we can't let them fall into further decay."

Khan took a deep breath. Sometimes he hated being the one in the command position. He had to make all of the tough decisions. The weight of their survival was clearly on his shoulders.

"Do it," he said roughly, trying to mask his emotions. These were people that had served him loyally for centuries, on and off while they were conscious. Despite occasional tensions, they were like his family, for better or worse.

He rose abruptly from his seat and stalked out of the room, leaving the others to their own thoughts. Eventually he found himself in front of Kiri's quarters, where he knew she would be staying out of the way. Unconsciously perhaps, he was looking for comfort, and someone he didn't have to pretend to be strong in front of.

Khan overrode the lock and entered her room uninvited, but not unwelcome. She was surprised when the door opened but when she saw his face, she came forward and took him in her arms. They did not speak, but she held him in her arms while he let his frustration out in gasps. She stroked his head softly, whispering words of comfort. They stayed like that for a long time until Khan finally fell asleep in her arms out of sheer emotional exhaustion.


	14. Chapter 14 - Sorrow's Embrace

**Chapter 14 - Sorrow** **'** **s Embrace**

Kiri watched him while he slept. It was only a short time, about 30 minutes or so. His mind and body had shut down against the stress and she waited for him to awaken and tell her what had happened. She knew he was having a meeting with the crew to determine the fate of the Anstetts, but she still didn't know what had happened, and the suspense was killing her. It hurt her to see Khan so upset. His face held tension even in repose, and she was worried about the outcome of the situation. She didn't know _what_ she would do if he released them from the brig.

When Khan awoke, he was on Kiri's couch with a blanket draped over him. For one moment he rested in the peace of the moment, but events of the day came flooding back to his mind, ruining his solace. He sat up, at once loving the feeling of being comfortable and loathing the vulnerability of it. He had had his share of lovers in the past, but only once had he been emotionally attached. He had vowed never to place himself in that situation again, and yet here he was, feeling that same intense feeling of attachment and longing for a person, for Kiri. There was no force in the universe strong enough to deny him that feeling except death itself.

He looked over at her seated on a chair, sipping a drink and watching him, her concern evident on her pretty features. He sat upright, suddenly needing to regain his position of strength, needing to project the image of a leader that was so ingrained in him. His expression hardened as he prepared to recap what Rab had discovered. He threw the blanket off him as if it were an insect, as if comfort was something to be abhorred.

"Rab has made a disturbing discovery," he said looking down at his own hands, avoiding her eyes.

"What?" asked Kiri when he didn't immediately explain.

"It seems as if someone had experimented on Carl and Karen," he said in clipped tones. " _Someone_ injected them with drugs that effected their brains. That's why they acted so…irrationally." He paused as if unsure of how to continue. He opted for the direct approach.

"If Rab doesn't perform a kind of chemical lobotomy, they'll degenerate into an irreversible psychosis."

Kiri was stunned. "Oh my god," she gasped. "I'm so sorry," she said. And despite all that had happened, she _was_ sorry, because events with the Anstetts had created a strain between her and the crew that she didn't want. A strain between her and _Khan_ that she didn't want.

"We think it was Vega," he said venomously, his eyes burning with hatred.

"I had no idea," said Kiri weakly, hoping that Khan wouldn't implicate her in Vega's crimes.

"Of course not," said Khan quickly, seeing her distress. "In all likelihood, he would have used

his drugs on all of us, including _you_ ," he added, watching her reaction.

Kiri recoiled. That son of a bitch had _slept_ with her, and all that time he had been experimenting on Khan's crew. They all knew he had wanted to 'help' them with the side effects of their genetic engineering, but this was a step in the wrong direction. Vega had been trying to develop a serum to reduce psychotic behavior, but had been toying with chemicals that produced the exact opposite effect, presumably to find a way to reverse engineer an antidote. No one knew he had actually tried it out already on some of the Augments, not even the Augments themselves. Since the siblings had the same DNA, Vega had used them as a basis of comparison with each other to determine the effectiveness of his treatments. He had taken them out of stasis now and then, but always performed the injections when they were in suspension.

"That no-good, son-of-a-fucking-bitch!" she spat, launching from her chair to pace the room. But Leandro Vega was beyond her reach, and beyond her revenge.

"If he were alive right now I'd choke him to within an inch of death and then do it over and over until he…" but Khan had come off of the couch behind her, and put his hands on her waist.

"He's not alive," he said in a low whisper.

She turned to look him in the eye for the first time, seeing a myriad of emotions pooled in them.

"All we can do now is try to help Carl and Karen, and forgive them for their actions. They were not themselves."

Kiri nodded, but a part of her had difficulty dropping her animosity for the siblings just yet. The intensity of their dislike for her left an indelible mark on her psyche, but she wanted to appear magnanimous.

"When will Rab perform the procedure?" she asked tentatively.

"Later today," answered Khan quietly. "They'll never be the same," he said shaking his head in sorrow, which he failed to hide from Kiri.

His eyebrows were furrowed and his ice blue eyes reflected his sadness and anger. A strand of hair came down over his forehead, which Kiri brushed back tenderly. He craved her touch, yet their closeness still scared him. He didn't push her away, but he didn't embrace her either. Her heart went out to this man, who had stood as a captain to this group of people who had been experimented on, persecuted, and feared. No wonder it was hard for him to allow himself to feel anything but anger. It was dangerous to his carefully crafted emotional armor.

Something must have temporarily won out inside of Khan, for suddenly he reached for her and held her close. It was only for a few seconds, after which he straightened himself up, put on his most stoney faced expression and strode out of the room leaving Kiri to watch him go.


	15. Chapter 15 - Soul Surgery

**Chapter 15 - Soul Surgery**

Karen lay strapped to a table in the Med Bay. She had reacted badly when Rab tried to explain the situation to her in the brig. Carl was understandably agitated when he saw his sister's distress. Neither one of them seemed to believe the doctor, preferring to stick to their paranoid notion of there being a conspiracy against them, headed by Kiri.

Not one to shy away from the difficult things, Khan stood watching the procedure, as much to give Rabinesh support as to bear witness. He supported the Anstetts whether they believed it or not, and watching this was like watching them die, in a way. Rab was visibly shaken, but they had agreed that this was a better fate than a shortened life of paranoid delusion. At least there was a _small_ hope of a cure some day.

Karen had fought against the restraints, and her augmented strength would have been more than a match for anyone other than another augment. Rab and Khan together easily subdued her until Rab could give her a sedative. Just before going under sedation, she looked directly into Khan's eyes, her own desperate and teary.

"I loved you," she said with a rasp in her voice, as if the effort of saying it was too much. Khan had steeled himself for this, but it hit him deep inside. This was no way for a loyal crew mate to be treated. But what choice was there? He didn't know what to say in return, but he had to find some words at least.

"Karen, you mean a lot to me." It was true. It didn't approach the love she hoped for, but it was something.

"You have been a loyal, competent member of my crew for a very long time." He paused, hating everything about this moment. "I have always regarded you as family," he finished, knowing it wasn't enough for her.

Her eyes teared up even more, and her faced twisted in anguish. Khan felt his guts twist in response. He could barely contain his anger and frustration. If Vega had been alive, he would have suffered severely at Khan's hand because of this.

Seeing Khan's tortured expression, Rab stepped in and gave her a sedative. After that, she was meek and compliant, but it was clear that she no longer knew what was going on around her.

Silently, the rest of the crew had gathered in the area behind the glass partition, including Kiri, who wasn't sure she'd be welcome at first. Yazmeen squeezed her hand and Ming nodded at her. Alan gave her a quick smile, but it was one of those 'brave smiles' people do when they are at the edge of breaking down. Kiri thought it was very much like a funeral, only this person wasn't physically dead. She was about to be emotionally killed, so to speak.

With a nod from Khan, Rab injected her with the vaccine he had created to counteract her psychosis. It was created to interact with her specific genetic makeup, and Rab hoped it would at least deaden her symptoms. But this was untested, and he feared that there could be terrible unforeseen side effects. He had seen many sad things in his long life, but this was among the saddest.

All of those watching had tears in their eyes, except Ming. Her lips were pressed together tightly and her nails dug into her skin in an effort to keep the tears at bay. Kiri's tears were as much for Khan and Rab as they were for Karen, since they shouldered the responsibility for this decision. She reminded herself it was Vega that was truly responsible. She felt sick at the memory of their lovemaking.

After receiving the injection, Karen's face underwent a variety of expressions. First there was pain, then fear, and then an odd sort of vacancy. She stopped struggling and just looked around her with little or no interest. Her face had almost an android quality about it or that of an animated corpse, a moving human shell with no emotion. It seemed ghoulish.

No one knew quite what to do, and they had all been holding their breath without realizing it. Rab looked at them, and said, "We'll have to wait to see what happens," he said quietly. "There's nothing we can do for her but be supportive," he finished, not really knowing what to say.

Kiri looked at Karen's blank face and felt a sickness surging up inside her. No one deserved this. It was gross and inhuman. She turned and ran to the bathroom where she threw up convulsively. Yazmeen went to help her, which was really just to pat her back and hand her tissues to wipe her mouth.

She felt embarrassed at her weakness, but her emotional investment only tied her more tightly to the rest of the crew. Khan saw her go, but stayed with the rest while Carl underwent the same ghastly process. At then end, everyone disbursed without speaking, as if any words they could say wouldn't suffice. They each sought the solace of their own quarters or stations, and no one spoke for hours unless duty demanded it.

From that day forward, Carl and Karen Anstett were ghosts of themselves, free from hate and fear but with no love, joy or hope in their hearts.


	16. Chapter 16 - Strange Bedfellows

**Chapter 16 - Strange Bedfellows**

The last two days had been a depressing blur for everyone on board the Sādhaka, as if they had been in mourning. Khan and Kiri had not been intimate since their first encounter, their anguish effectively dampening their sexual desire for one another. Khan had sought the privacy of his own quarters, although he was still gentle with Kiri when they crossed paths going about their duties.

Kiri had acquired her own duties aboard the ship, which were quite surprising. If there was one thing she had become attuned to in the Institute it was matters of psychology. Not having much else to do, she had studied a wide array of notable psychologists, and her fellow 'inmates' had provided all the research material she could hope to find in a lifetime.

Under Rab's guidance, she was now helping Karen and Carl try to acclimate themselves with their altered brain function. Given the events of past days, it was a shock to see Kiri leading Karen around the ship, gently urging her to name various things.

Karen had developed a strange need for Kiri's presence, and when left alone would get agitated until Kiri came back into her sight.

It was in this manner that Kiri came onto the bridge, leading Karen gently by the hand. The rest of the crew could not help but glance furtively at their former crew mate, sad and almost embarrassed at her current predicament.

Alan, who had been humming songs as he sat at the helm, stopped and smiled at her.

"Hello, Karen," he said, forcing a broad smile. Karen's face never changed expression, an oddity that they would slowly become accustomed to.

"Alan," she said without intonation, pointing at him. She seemed to remember people and things, but could not attach much in the way of emotion to them. Rab suggested that her attachment to Kiri was purely a survival instinct, that Kiri represented safety to her now, which might wear off at some point in the near future.

Khan came in behind them and took his seat in the captain's chair. He stiffened when he saw Karen, still uncomfortable in her presence and angry with the whole chain of events, but he was grateful for Kiri's willingness to help. No one had a better cause for a grudge against the Anstatt's than Kiri, but she seemed not to be holding on to any ill will. It was Vega she was rip-shit with, pissed that he was untouchable in death.

Kiri steered Karen over to one of the science stations and let her look at it.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked gently. Karen nodded blandly.

"This is the control for the anti-matter containment field," she said pointing to one of the small sections. She looked at the rest of it and blinked. "This controls the plasma injectors," she said in a hollow tone.

Khan came to the edge of his seat, interested in this new development. In a pinch, they might be able to use her skills. She seemed to have retained her technical knowledge. It was her emotional intelligence that was missing now. He looked at Kiri's face, beautiful and compassionate. Compassion had never been a strong suit of his, even going so far as to think it showed a weakness of character. But it took on a new light in the form of Kiri. A surge of affection for her rushed up inside him, unbidden. Affection and desire, returning forcefully and urgently. He scanned her form, recalling its softness and taste.

Kiri had been watching Karen closely, and when she turned to look at Khan, she caught his eye…and his mood. She flashed a smile at him and the desire in her eyes mirrored his own.

Alan's voice broke the spell. "We have company," he said with an edge to his tone, recalling the last encounter they had had with the Borg scout ship.

"On screen," clipped Khan, returning quickly to his command mode, shutting out all personal feelings and desires. Kiri sat Karen down in a chair in front of a console. "Don't touch anything," she whispered into Karen's ear. Everyone tensed as the screen resolved an image of a vessel.

"It's a Ferengi trader," announced Yazmeen verifying the ship's call signal. Everyone relaxed just a bit, knowing it wasn't another Borg ship, although Ferengi could be brutal and greedy.

"Not surprising," said Alan. "We're getting closer to M'weru. It must be a gold mine for lucrative business opportunities."

They had chosen M'weru because of its reputation for housing unwanted or 'fringe' people. A fair number of fugitives sought refuge here over the years, as it was not under Federation jurisdiction… and a fair number of bounty hunters had profited from attempts to extract them.

"We're being hailed," said Yazmeen, catching a hailing signal in her earpiece.

"You all remember the cover story," Khan reminded them, somewhat needlessly. They had all crafted their aliases and cover stories before leaving Earth. They wanted no one to know they were the Augments that escaped from cryo suspension on Earth. At least not until _after_ they were settled. Kiri hadn't really asked about that, but she knew enough not to speak.

"On screen," he said after a deep breath.

A Ferengi with very large earlobes resolved into view, squinting at them in mistrust and interest.

"I am DaiMon Grixa of the Ferengi Alliance," he said in an odd nasal tone. "What is your business here," he asked imperiously.

Khan's eyes narrowed as he assessed the man.

"I am John Harrison," he lied smoothly, "commander of the exploration vessel _S_ _ā_ _dhaka._ Our ship has been damaged by a Borg scout vessel. We are heading for M'weru to seek repairs and supplies." The last part was true enough. Karen looked confused at Khan's alias. Kiri held a finger to her lips to tell her to stay silent.

"Borg scout vessel?!" repeated Grixa, alarmed at first and then doubtful. He turned to one of his Ferengi crewmen. "Scan their ship for damage." He was unapologetic in his suspicion.

Khan waited calmly for them to complete their scan.

"Confirmed," came another nasal voice from the Ferengi bridge. "Damage is consistent with Borg weaponry!"

Grixa could not hide his fear. Ferengi were not known for their bravery. "Where was this encounter? How did you get away?!" he fired his questions at Khan.

"It was two days ago," said Khan restlessly. "We destroyed them," he said in a low deadly tone, taking satisfaction from the DaiMon's surprised expression. Kiri thought Khan's powerful personality was not very well concealed by an alias. They had to know he was someone of importance just by his bearing. She might have to coach him on that if they were to stay concealed.

"If you don't mind," continued Khan, "We'd like to be on our way now." It wasn't really a request so much as a threat. Dai'Mon Grixa knew from the scan of the _S_ _ā_ _dhaka_ that they were still heavily armed, even after spending a large portion of their weaponry on the Borgs.

They could see Grixa weighing his options. "Hmmm. I will inform my…business partners on M'weru to be expecting you," he said, equally threateningly, showing his pointed teeth in a grimace of a smile.

"I look forward to doing business with them," answered Khan through clenched teeth. He hated Ferengi, although they were fairly easy to defeat in any form of physical conflict. They did make formidable political and business opponents though, being both shrewd and amoral.

The transmission ended and the Ferengi vessel turned and continued in another direction. Khan knew that DaiMon Grixa would be digging into their past, perhaps even finding their true identities.

Khan looked at his crew. This wasn't going to be easy, but it was far better than laying unconscious in stasis. "And so it begins…" he said softly.


	17. Chapter 17 - The Game Is On

**Chapter 17 - The Game Is On**

The next day they were within long range scanner distance of M'weru. Everyone gathered on the bridge to get a look at their new home.

"There she is!" said Alan, peering at the screen to see a small greenish planet flanked by three small moons.

"It looks lovely…from this distance," said Ming dryly, knowing that the politics of a fringe planet would be harsher than its temperate climate. But there weren't too many places they could go outside the reach of the long arm of the Federation, so this would have to suffice as a starting point at least.

Before they had left Earth, Vega had been in touch with one of the more important leaders on M'weru regarding their arrival, Lady Veexana as she called herself, but now Khan was forced into dealing with her directly. He had hoped to avoid as much direct contact as possible, but given Vega's death, it was now unavoidable. These were not elected leaders, but more like powerful organized crime magnates. They were usually unscrupulous, but could basically be counted on to keep their word once a bargain was struck. It was considered bad business to renege on a deal.

Lady Veexana was a flamboyant woman of both human and Betazoid descent. In her early 40's, she was still fairly attractive, although her excessive use of makeup made it difficult to see that fact. Being part Betazoid gave her a huge advantage over her fellow counterparts. Having psychic abilities would ensure that she always knew the intentions of her opponents and business clients. She titled herself 'Lady' but she was neither royal nor very lady like.

Khan was preparing for a face to face call with her on subspace in just a few moments and was not looking forward to it. He paced the bridge, combing a hand through his thick dark hair in nervous anticipation.

"Alan, any word on the other ships yet?" he asked, needing that information before he spoke with Veexana. It effected their story in a big way. If the others showed up looking for them, there would be questions raised. He would have to invent something in case they showed up at a later date. He had never lost hope that some of the other Augment ships had survived the journey, although every day that passed seemed to lower the odds of their survival.

"No sir," answered Alan looking dejected. "I would have thought that we would have picked up one of their transponders by now," he added, his eye brows knitted in frustration.

They should have _all_ been there by now at the rendezvous point, and this didn't bode well.

But Khan had to focus on the meeting at hand. He needed to be convincing, especially to a Betazoid. He wondered about the range of her psychic abilities and hoped they didn't reach him this far out. In fact, they didn't. As she was half human, she didn't enjoy the depth or breath of a full Betazoid's abilities.

Khan ordered everyone off the bridge except Alan. The more faces on the view screen the bigger the risk that someone might be identified. He was thinking now that maybe he should have had Rab do some temporary surgery on them to alter their appearances, but his vanity was repulsed by that idea. He piped the call in over the ship's com system so the others could at least watch from other areas on the ship.

"Incoming message from the planet, sir," said Alan, putting it on screen at Khan's nod.

'Lady' Veexana wore a dangerously low cut silk top and sat perched voluptuously on what could only be called a throne. She draped herself across the red velvet cushions that were piled on a gilded chair. The effect was ridiculous, and not at all the sexy effect she was going for. SHe had a massive head of raven colored hair, and her eyes were the dark pools of the Betazoid, so dark that one couldn't distinguish the pupils.

[Yazmeen, Ming and Kiri all sat together in the mess hall watching together. Rab was in the Med Bay with the Anstett's keeping them contained and quiet. At the sight of Veexana, Yazmeen let out a derisive snort, while Ming rolled her eyes.

"What the fuck?" whispered Kiri and they all snickered. It was fortunate that they couldn't be heard by anyone, so they felt free to comment on the proceedings.]

"Lady Veexana," said Khan smoothly, staying seated in his chair. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

Veexana's eyebrows rose at the sight of him as she looked him over, not taking any pains to hide her lascivious interests.

"So Vega is dead, you say," she started out blandly. "And you are John Harrison, the man now in charge of this _expedition_."

"That's correct," said Khan, trying not to show the disgust that he so violently felt at the moment.

"Mmmm. He never mentioned you were so…pretty," she said laughing throatily.

["Looks like you've got competition, Kiri!" teased Yazmeen, putting a finger down her throat to show her opinion of Lady Veexana.

"I might have to freeze her ass before this is all over," retorted Kiri, who actually felt a pang of jealousy, even though this woman was no match for her in the looks department.]

Khan disregarded her comment and cleared his throat. "Vega was handling the details of our request, but we know that he was granted permission for us to remain here for awhile and conduct our business." He stood up, hoping the sheer force of his physicality would intrigue her enough to agree to the prior deal.

"Hmmm," she responded, sitting up and looking at him with an intense interest. "What will you give me to allow this?" she asked feigning innocence. Khan's eye narrowed. She was trying to test him already, and take advantage of Vega's absence.

"Payment has already been made," he said smoothly. "I have heard that your Ladyship is very trustworthy when it comes to doing business." He would try flattering her professionally first, preferring not to have to go the route of flattering her physically. A woman like that might get ideas in her head.

She fanned herself with some ridiculous silk fan, hiding most of her face except for her eyes, which she batted at him flirtatiously.

["He must be ready to fire the phaser banks at her," said Ming. "He hates that over-the-top shit."]

But Khan remained unreadable, a fact that Veexana found interesting and unusual. Usually her overtures made men nervous at the very least. But Khan was strong and silent. This made her all the more attracted to him.

Veexana discarded the fan and looked down to read something, which Khan assumed was regarding the deal that Vega had made.

"It says here you have a small fleet of 4 research vessels," her expression had changed dramatically from flirtatious to that of a serious businesswoman. Both of them were acts of showmanship.

"That's correct," said Khan tersely.

"Well, where are the other three, dear?" she asked arching her plucked and tinted eyebrows.

"We lost one to a Borg scout ship," he answered. "The other two are as yet unaccounted for."

"I see," she said looking at her lacquered finger nails as if disinterested. It wasn't hard to guess that the Ferengi Dai'Mon Grixa had filled her in on these events before now, otherwise she would have been at least shocked at most terrified. She had obviously heard about the encounter already and was forcing Khan to play the game.

["What a piece of work!" said Yazmeen, shaking her head in disbelief. Kiri just sat quietly, her jaw clenching in annoyance.]

Instead of launching into an explanation, Khan waited with his arms folded and made her ask the next question. He was no stranger to games. He had ruled _nations_ after all, back when the Augments were first created.

"So, how did you escape the Borg?" she asked in an impatient tone.

"We were able to destroy them," he said, not giving any details.

Veexana leaned forward, this time unaware that her ample cleavage was giving them a show. She was focusing on Khan and his answers now.

"How?" she asked flatly. "They have been virtually undefeated until now. You're telling me that your pathetic little science vessel defeated a Borg scout ship?" She was clearly suspicious.

[Kiri felt an intense dislike for this woman building up inside of her. She could just immobilize Veexana and all of her henchmen in one instant with a flick of her mind. They could just take the whole damned planet if they wanted to. In the past, Khan himself might have been proud of such a despotic idea, but right now, he just wanted a place of asylum, not a dominion to conquer.]

Khan looked at Veexana unflinchingly. "They were already damaged somehow. They lost power for a moment, and we destroyed them while their defenses were down. We don't know how they sustained that damage," he lied.

[Yazmeen punched Kiri's arm playfully. "Yeah, we do. Our secret weapon," she joked. Kiri smiled weakly, but wasn't really in the mood for joking just now. Veexana really disturbed her somehow. She wasn't as vapid as she seemed, of that Kiri was sure. She wouldn't be in a position of power if she was.]

Veexana sat back, clearly not satisfied by Khan's answer, but also very intrigued by him. There was more to this man than a science expedition and she wanted to know everything about him.

"Well then," she stated imperiously, flourishing her fan ostentatiously. "I simply must have a feast in your honor to hear all about it. You can repair your ship and we can talk about your stay here." She smiled a humorless smile that never reached her eyes.

Khan got the impression of a spider inviting a fly to its web, but what choice did they have? He cursed under his breath but did not give her the satisfaction of seeing his annoyance.

"We would be honored, of course," he answered graciously. Another lie. Good thing she was out of psychic range.

"I would like to meet your _entire_ crew," she off handedly.

Khan had hoped to avoid that, especially with Carl and Karen in their present states. Khan inclined his head. "Of course," he said aloud. "Dammit!" he said to himself. They had very little time to think of something. He hadn't anticipated _any_ of them needing to meet Veexana in person, let alone _all_ of them.

"You may dock at Way Station 14," she said casually. "They will beam you to the surface once you've made repair arrangements. I look forward to seeing all of you," she added, looking him up and down again. The way she said 'all of you' sounded more like she wanted to see all of Khan, not all of his crew.

[Kiri actually hissed and looked livid. "Ease up, Kiri. She's no real threat to you," chided Yazmeen.]

"Thank you, your Ladyship," replied Khan, trying to keep his tone even. They needed her permission to stay on at M'weru. They could hardly afford her ill will now.

The transmission ended abruptly and Khan stood for a moment behind Alan, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"She seems like a sleaze," stated Alan in his breezy manner. "She's definitely playing games with us."

"Well, then," said Khan, "The game is on."


	18. Chapter 18 - Bees In A Bell Jar

**Chapter 18 - Bees in A Bell Jar**

Rab stood in the MedBay running his hand through his hair. "How the hell are we going to pull this off?" he asked, a note of panic in his voice. He was referring of course to how they were supposed to handle the Anstett's condition without raising suspicion on M'weru. While Karen was rather docile and unemotional, the effects of the procedure on Carl were somewhat different than those of his sister. He had lost parts of his long term memory, and was prone to be violent at times. Neither one of them could be trusted to keep silent or behave during a formal dinner.

Kiri stood in the doorway, Karen at her elbow. Much to Kiri's dismay, Karen rarely left her side unless pried from it unwillingly. She thought back to her days at the Institute. There were often times that the doctors there did less than scrupulous things to their patients, and didn't want to risk the patients telling their family members. To ensure their silence, they were sometimes injected with drugs that induced a comatose condition, just in time for visiting days.

"I know this is terrible," began Kiri cautiously, "but what if you were to use a neuro paralyzer?"

Rab's eyebrows rose in surprise. He looked as if he were about to object, but then settled into a serious consideration of the idea.

"It won't cause any permanent harm," he mused.

"It will keep them silent," Kiri added.

"Two comatose crew members would raise suspicions," Rab reminded her.

"Better create suspicion than having one of them blurt out the truth," Kiri countered. "Maybe we could say we rescued them from the Borg, and we don't know what was done to them?"

Rab nodded, thinking maybe that wasn't a bad idea.

"Do it," came a deep voice from behind them. Khan had walked up during this conversation. "Not unless anyone has a better idea within the next hour."

An hour was all they had to prepare to beam down to M'weru at the invitation of Veexana. Khan hated the idea of everyone leaving the ship completely in the hands of Veexana's people, but the only choice was to take the Sādhaka and run. But where to? And such a move would surely cause pursuit. He felt trapped like a bee in a bell jar, with nothing to do but slam into an invisible barrier at every turn. Khan Noonien Singh did not respond well to being trapped. He was edgy and tense.

"I've been looking at the information from various transmissions from the planet," said Rab. "They don't have a social structure in place with formal institutions, like hospitals, schools or prisons. It's pretty much up to the individual to acquire the resources they need. Maybe they'll let me stay on board to attend these two once they find out their condition," he mused.

"Let's hope so," clipped Khan. "Rab, do what you have to do here. Kiri, the rest of us are meeting on the bridge in 30 minutes to go over our cover story again. Meet us there." And with that he left to get ready for the dinner.

No one had brought clothes appropriate for a state function. Their exit from Earth had been a secret and desperate escape. There was no thought for anything that wasn't a necessity. When they met on the bridge, the effect would have been funny if the situation weren't so dire.

Khan had some semblance of a dress uniform, consisting of Starfleet style pants, boots, and a civilian black top with stripes on the shoulders that were suggestive of command. They did not want to suggest any affiliation with Starfleet at all lest questions be raised. He was to be John Harrison, leader of their science expedition to study worm hole anomalies.

Kiri had chosen her most form fitting outfit in a very conscious attempt to keep Khan's attention from wandering to another woman. Not having any scientific skills, she was to be Khan's wife, Kiri Harrison, traveling with him on their long voyage. It had been Khan's idea, surprisingly, and it touched Kiri deeply. Being a man of practicality, it wasn't completely out of sentiment that he had chosen this role for her. He wanted her there in case they needed her powers and of course, as a foil for Veexana's advances.

Ming looked like a ninja, dressed all in black leather, probably with hidden weapons in various places on her body. They hadn't been told _not_ to carry weapons, so she was pushing that omission to her advantage. She had chosen the alias of Suyin, which had belonged to one of her aunts. She had no idea what her scientific skill would be. Security wasn't something needed on a small science ship.

Yazmeen had no dress attire and wore khaki pants with high boots, topped by a red a leather jacket. Alan joked that she always looked like a mercenary or modern pirate, which secretly pleased her. She had come up with the name of Allia Tyler, and could maintain her position as a communications expert, which was always needed on any kind of expedition. Strictly speaking, she was tactical, but she could pull it off.

Alan looked, by and large, like he did every day. Like a pilot. He shrugged. "I didn't want to waste any of our replicator power on new clothes..." he said lightly. Yazmeen shook her head.

"Alan Jackson," he said grinning broadly.

"Like, the country singer from the 1980's?" asked Yazmeen incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Yep," he answered shrugging. They were trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't working.

"Our two scientists are comatose in the MedBay and we know nothing about worm holes," Ming said through gritted teeth. "Veexana's never gonna buy this."

"No," said Khan. "It's likely they already know who we are. The question is, do they care?"

"They'll care if there's a big enough bounty on our heads," said Yazmeen acerbically.

"Maybe," answered Khan. "It's also possible they would try to acquire our...skills...for their own purposes."

"Hired guns?" said Alan. "We've been there and done _that_ before," he reminded them. "How did that work out for us?" He was referring to the several occasions where they had been removed from cryogenic suspension to be used by some Starfleet admiral or other, most recently, Admiral Marcus.

"Everyone has the story straight by now I assume, and their aliases. It will be a challenge, but I'm anticipating the pretense won't last very long, if at all," he said dryly.

There was a beep at the helm's console and Alan went to review it.

"Docking protocol is complete," he said taking a deep breath. "They're requesting to board us."

"Let them come," said Khan looking at his crew. "Let's stay together if we can," he ordered, leading them to the docking bay door to await their fate.


	19. Chapter 19 - Feasting With The Enemy

**Chapter 19 - Feasting In the Presence of the Enemy**

The docking ring doors slid open with a swoosh to reveal four armed guards in khaki uniforms. The leader tipped his hat to them.

"Welcome to M'weru," he said in a flat tone that was anything but welcoming. "You folks can proceed to the transporter pad in the main area while we take a look around your ship. Just a precaution, you understand."

Kiri could see Khan gritting his teeth, but he nodded. The men pushed by them onto the ship, and the guard turned back towards them as an afterthought.

"Veexana is expecting you," he added, and Kiri saw a sly smile reach his lips. For split second she thought of dropping the guard where he stood, but Khan squeezed her arm, knowing she would want to try something.

"Two of our crew were injured in the Borg attack," Khan said to the guards matter-of-factly. "They're in the MedBay now with our doctor."

The guards looked at one another but just shrugged and nodded, not really seeming to care one way or another.

Khan had learned long ago that one of the tenets of power was to simply state things as if you have all the right in the world to them. In many cases, people will just go along with what you say without question. An alarming facet of the human condition, but true.

Khan and his crew filed out into the main area of the small space station. It was a varied and eclectic population to be sure that roamed the decks here. M'weru was a magnet for people of all races seeking asylum from their home worlds for various reasons, as well as for people looking for business opportunities, both legal and unscrupulous.

A very large Klingon male walked by and Kiri could have sworn he growled at them. Ming braced herself in case she needed to respond, but the Klingon merely passed by them on his own business.

"I was hoping for hula girls and leis," quipped Alan. "This is a let down," he added making note of all of the security points and potential threats in one quick glance.

They proceeded to the transporter pads where there was a man on duty. Khan approached him.

"We are from the research vessel Sādhaka," he stated. "We were invited to the surface by Veexana."

The man, apparently human, scrutinized each of them and jerked his head towards to pads.

"She's expecting you," he said tersely.

The augments looked at each other warily. They were keen observers, totally in tuned to their environment and always ready to respond to a situation. They were a well-oiled team accustomed to being in dangerous situations. They could smell danger and this place reeked of it.

They each took a place on a pad, not knowing what to expect. Everyone was on high alert and even Kiri could barely contain herself she was so nervous.

The transporter buzzed and they felt that familiar but odd sensation of fading away and returning that accompanied being transported. As their atoms resolved they found themselves in a large feast hall teeming with people, bizarrely dressed and many of them naked.

"Now this is more like it," said Alan under his breath. But the scene was so outlandish it reminded them of an alien Bacchanalia.

As they stepped cautiously off the transporter pad Ming was intercepted by security, who signaled her to relinquish her weapons.

Khan glanced at Ming with an arched eye brow, but she shrugged unapologetically while she removed two small knives and a stun gun from somewhere in the folds of her form fitting outfit. She handed them to the guard with a look directly into his eyes that left no mistaking that she was dangerous even without them.

"Damned transporter picked up my stash," she whispered to Yazmeen as they wound their way through the hall.

"That's why they made us use their transporter and not our own," Yazmeen whispered back. "So they could filter for weapons."

They were then led to the head table to meet Veexana in person.

The party had obviously started without them, as many people appeared to be drunk already. There was no shortage of lascivious behavior and in fact public displays of sexual acts seemed to be encouraged.

Even Alan was taken aback somewhat, and Yazmeen elbowed him when he looked too long at some couple having sex on a table while others watched intently while feasting around them.

When they got to the head table they were greeted by Veexana herself, who was half reclining on a lounge while a young Andorian male was fawning over her, stroking her naked breasts. Veexana was naked from the waist up, probably as a tactical move to put her guests ill at ease as much as for her own base pleasures.

"Ah my treasured guests!" she crooned, standing up to greet them, her arms open wide. It was hard not to look, but Khan was determined not to allow such a shallow ploy to disconcert him. He was much more self disciplined than that.

"Lady Veexana," he answered smoothly. "I am John Harrison, and this is my wife Kiri," he said presenting her as if she were a talisman to keep Veexana away. "And my crew, Alan, Suyin, and Allia," he specifically avoided last names, but it didn't matter; a Betazoid woman in this close proximity must know he was lying.

Veexana grinned broadly and pranced around the tightly clustered group. Alan was amused at her toplessness but was not much else. Yazmeen returned her stare boldly, also not phased by Veexana's gregariousness. Ming rarely revealed her feelings anyway and remained stoic. Veexana had hoped to make a greater impression with her state of undress, so she decided to switch tactics and try to intimidate them with her Betazoid abilities. She looked at each one in turn, making deep eye contact as if flaunting her psychic tricks.

When she got to Kiri, she paused a bit longer and her eyebrows rose in faint surprise. Kiri knew how to keep her mind blank and her emotions at bay…sometimes that was the only way to control her own powers. To the Betazoid, it made her enticingly unreadable.

Veexana smiled at her lasciviously and admired her figure. This woman did not limit her sexual interests to males, and Kiri presented an alluring new toy.

"What a lovely little pet," she said to Khan, clearly trying to provoke him. Khan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"She bites," he said dryly, thinly veiling the joke with a threat.

Veexana tittered and took out her ridiculous fan, which she fluttered in front of her face like a Geisha. The effect was laughable, but no one laughed. She _did_ hold all the power in this situation.

She slipped into the seat at the head of the table clearly used to being naked at the dinner table, a thing that most others would have found awkward.

"Come, my friends," she said gesturing to the table, which was loaded with a large variety of food. "Please sit and enjoy the meal with us. Regale us with your harrowing tales of the Borg attack."

She took a deep draught of wine and held it up for a servant to refill. At least they knew the wine wasn't poisoned. There were delicacies of all kinds on the table, most of it from distant planets and some of it very rare. It was clearly meant to demonstrate Veexana's wealth and the reach of her influence.

The Klingon dishes were acrid and pungent but were not the most exotic ones. Kiri was surprised and more than pleased to catch sight of her favorite Earth cuisine…chocolate. She suppressed an overwhelming desire to reach for it, instead taking a cue from the others, none of whom had touched any food.

Veexana leaned in to Khan who was now seated next to her, so that her breasts were touching him.

"Come now… _John_ ," she said, emphasizing the 'John' as if to let him know that she knew it wasn't his real name. "Tell me all about yourself…"

Khan rested on the edge of indecision. Would it be better to continue the charade or to come clean up front? Either way, it was going to be a long night, especially seated next to a viper in the middle of a wanton banquet filled with the galaxy's most undesirable, unwanted denizens.

* * *

 **A/N** Thank you everyone for reading my story. There are several ways I am thinking of going with this. I'd love to hear your feedback to better help me decide! All comments are welcome.


	20. Chapter 20 - Stupid

**Chapter 20 - Stupid**

Aboard the Sādhaka, Rab was monitoring the unconscious Anstetts when the guards entered the MedBay.

"You the doctor?" one of them asked stupidly while the others began a methodical search of the cabinets, looking for hidden panels and closets.

"Yes," answered Rab, resisting the urge to reply with a snarky comment. "I am monitoring two of our crew who were injured by the Borg," he stated, hoping they wouldn't pry too much.

"What's wrong with them?" asked Stupid Guard #1 (as Rab had labeled him in his head).

"The Borg attached some device to their heads to try to begin assimilation. We managed to break them free, but they haven't regained consciousness since," he lied. He was banking on their lack of medical or technical knowledge to keep them from asking for any more detail. He was right on that point but they did continue to question him.

"No one has ever beaten the Borg before," said Stupid1 (new nickname) narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "How did _you_?" He folded his arms across his chest and bounced on his toes waiting for Rab's reply.

"These Borg were already damaged somehow," Rab lied again. "They just appeared out of no where, probably dropping out of trans-warp. We believe they were trying to acquire us and our resources to help with their repair. But they were weak enough to overcome, thankfully." He put on his best innocent-doctor-feigning-relief face.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched the other guards ransacking the MedBay. They hadn't come up with anything yet, and it was unclear if these men knew about the Augments' questionable background. Veexana liked to keep her minions in the dark about sensitive things. Knowledge was power.

It was apparent they were searching for smuggled goods, which they wouldn't find on this ship. The Augments had brought only provisions for survival until they reached M'weru. He was sure that the ship's data banks would be downloaded and analyzed, and _that_ is where the real problems would begin. For now, he just had to appease these thugs and convince them to leave him alone.

Stupid Guard#2 was knocking over bottles, some with the precious compounds needed to keep the Anstetts in stasis. With a lack of formal hospitals on the planet, everything in the MedBay had become exponentially precious.

"Be careful with those!" barked Rab in a commanding voice. The guards looked at him challengingly, and he reluctantly added, "Please."

The other guards that had gone to search the rest of the ship came back, shaking their heads. "There's nothing of value here, except the ship itself," said one.

"And she is a beauty, despite the damage," said the other. "Veexana will be happy to add this to her fleet once it's been repaired."

Rab's head snapped around in surprise. "Now wait just a minute!" he protested. "We've not agreed to that!"

"Oh, you'll agree to whatever she tells you to agree with," said Stupid1 swaggering up to Rab with his thumbs hooked in is belt. "She controls almost everything on this planet," he said puffing out his chest as if he himself was imbued with that power by the virtue of being a mere plebe in her security force.

Rab could have snapped the man in two with his Augmented powers and killed all of the others before any of them knew it, but he reigned in his anger. He had no idea what was going on down on the surface, or what the fate of his friends was. It was infuriating and unsettling. He took a deep breath in.

"Well then, I'll just leave the political dealings to our leader," he said smoothly, wanting to avoid a confrontation so he could try to initiate contact with someone on the ground. He just wanted these goons to leave.

"What are you planning on doing with them?" asked Stupid1, peering at the two comatose patients with a squinty expression on his face.

"I'm not sure what the situation on the planet will be for us," said Rab, with no deception necessary. "I suppose it depends on where we end up," he added thought fully.

"There are no hospitals on M'weru," said Stupid1. "The sick and weak are considered a liability here. Not worth the use of expensive commodities, if you know what I mean," he said watching Rab carefully for his reaction.

Rab was not surprised at the lack of compassion. Planets llike M'weru housed dens of thieves, and didn't have the same social structures as civilized planets. Only the strongest and richest survived. "We'll acquire what we need and handle the expense ourselves," answered Rab, his bad feeling about this place getting stronger by the minute.

The guard just grunted at him and shrugged, but couldn't resist getting in the last word.

"We'll see," he said, motioning for the others to leave.

Rab grew deadly serious and replied, "Yes, we'll see."

"You'll be contacted when Veexana has reached a decision about your crew. Be ready to leave when contacted." He gave Rab a gormless smile, clearly meant to unsettle him, and stalked out of the MedBay with the other guards close at his heels.

Rab hoped Khan was making some kind of a palatable deal on the planet, otherwise, it seemed like they were all destined for a miserable life…but that was nothing new to them.


	21. Chapter 21 - Revelations

**Chapter 21 - Revelations**

If there was one thing Khan was the master of, it was the art of compromise. For centuries he had been forced to deal with people and organizations wishing to use the Augments to some purpose, and he had a lot of experience in working the deals to benefit himself and his crew in some way. As fugitives, there was a price on their heads that made them an attractive acquisition, but a bounty was a one-time reward. Their skills as Augments could potentially benefit Veexana for years to come. If he could position himself as an important ally, then perhaps she would forgo the reward money for the potential power and security a group of Augments could bring to her. His decision was made, and he hoped to hell it was the right one.

"Veexana," he said in low voice, meeting her dark eyes with his own ice blue ones and leaning forward. "Let's drop the charade, shall we? You know who I am…" he said trailing off, waiting to see what her reaction would be.

As he had anticipated, his raw sensuality and the promise of power she knew existed in him made her quiver and hesitate for just a second.

She put a hand to her throat but the gesture of coyness was ridiculous for a half naked woman to make. She reached for her wine glass and took a sip, looking at him over the top of the glass, her expression interested but guarded.

She put the glass on the table and met his gaze forthrightly. "Khan…Noonien…Singh," she said, pausing in between each name for effect.

"Yes," he said quietly, not taking his eyes from her. Everyone close enough to hear was silently waiting with baited breath to see what Veexana would do next. Kiri was tensed and ready to use her ability to freeze every person in the place if need be, but she would follow Khan's lead.

Veexana had been prepared for this eventuality. DaiMon Grixa, the Ferengi trader they had met on their way to M'weru had alerted Veexana to this mysterious ship and crew, and it hadn't taken them long to figure it out. They had argued back and forth about whether to release them to authorities for a reward or to try to press them into service. The whole thing depended on Khan's temperament and willingness. Grixa had reluctantly agreed to let her try after she reminded him of the Feregni 34th Rule of Acquisition - The best deal is the one that makes the most profit. IF Khan offered them his services and those of his crew, they would make far more money in the long run. Augments were known to be dangerous foes and formidable allies. For all of their familial ties with each other, history showed them to be cunning, remorseless and violent when they needed to be. Grixa was afraid that such powerful people could overcome even someone as influential as Veexana.

She leaned back in her seat, trying to give the impression of indifference, but Khan's augmented senses could see that her pulse was racing, and she was sweating profusely. She was nervous.

"Tell me, what would a man like you want on a planet like this?" she asked, knowing full well why they were here.

"Asylum," he stated simply. "A place to live freely without the threat of imprisonment or cryogenic suspension," he added sitting back folding his arms across his chest. He'd played his hand, now it was her turn.

Veexana raised an eye brow. "Harboring known criminals is a crime, Mr. Singh," she said, twirling her finger in her hair. "What will you give us for such…asylum?" she asked, a dangerous glint in her eye.

Khan considered this for a moment before answering. "Vega already paid you for our stay here, at least for awhile," he began. Veexana cut him off.

"That was _before_ we found out you were wanted criminals on Earth!" she said fanning herself again. "Surely, you can see that this new development will require a new deal." She stared at him, her dark eyes boring into him, and with her Betazoid senses, she surely would have picked up his annoyance.

"After all," she continued, smiling slyly at the others at the table, "You have a family to protect now, what with your 'wife' being pregnant and all." She smiled at Kiri in a sickly sweet way.

Khan froze for an instant. He looked at Kiri, who sat stunned and looking confused. It had been less than two weeks since they had made love, but she had a birth control implant, so she hadn't given it a thought.

"No way!" whispered Alan looking at Kiri, surprised.

"Kiri, honey?" said Yazmeen, touching her hand.

Kiri looked down and then at Khan. "I…I don't know," she said weakly.

Veexana found this surprise reveal to be hilariously funny, and laughed her throaty laugh, throwing back her head.

"You're bluffing!" snapped Khan angrily, wanting to choke Veexana for her petty and controlling ways.

"Oh my, but I'm not!" said Veexana, still breathless from laughing. "It's amazing what the transporter data can tell you about a person," she said looking up and down at Khan and rising from her seat to approach Kiri. Kiri tensed at her approach. No damned transporter scan could reveal her _psychic_ abilities. Wouldn't Veexana be surprised if she turned this place upside down?

"Oh, my pretty little pet," she said to Kiri, stroking her auburn hair. Kiri pulled away and resisted the urge to slap Veexana's hand.

"But he's madly in love with you, you know, despite that bad boy image," she said looking sideways at Khan, amusement shining in her black eyes. The color rose in Khan's face. He was not a man to be toyed with.

"None of this changes anything," said Ming flatly, speaking for the first time since they were seated. "We're still here, we still need asylum, and you still want our…talents. So let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" Kiri could have kissed Ming for cutting through the bullshit with her no nonsense attitude.

Veexana pursed her lips and looked at Ming squarely, as if for the first time.

"Miss Xu, I presume?" she said, clearly pleased with herself for her knowledge. Ming made no expression or comment, but appeared as immutable as ever. Veexana pranced around now to her side of the table.

"Here we go…" said Alan under his breath.

"Ming Xu, Yazmeen Davis and Alan Walker," she said pointing at each one of them in turn, stopping to appraise Alan, who was considered very handsome by all accounts. She put her finger in her mouth in what she supposed was a tantalizing manner, but which Alan found sadly amusing.

"And where are the others?" she asked, spinning around to face Khan. "Where is the good doctor Rabinesh Kapur? And the Anstett's? Carl and Karen if my intel is correct."

Khan would have to tread carefully here. Her Betazoid senses would detect a lie.

"They are on board our ship. The Doctor is tending to the two Anstetts who are injured." It was true. They _were_ injured, he just didn't say how.

Veexana paraded back to the head of the table. "Well, my lovelies," she said putting her hands together. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement that is acceptable and beneficial to all of us."

She sat back down and leaned back, putting her breasts on display. She took another glass of wine and intentionally remained silent, making them wait for her to tell them just what that deal might be.

Kiri was still reeling from the discovery of her pregnancy. Could it be true? This wasn't the kind of thing one wanted revealed in such a crass and public way, and she felt humiliated. Her cheeks burned with anger, and she couldn't stop herself from shaking.

She could not control the thoughts that went with that anger. The desire to hurt Veexana. The desire to bring this whole mad party to a crashing halt. For a split second, she lost control and the whole building shuddered briefly. Kiri was perversely please to see the look on Veexana's face when she realized there was an earthquake of some kind. Her smug expression dissolved into concern bordering on panic.

"What's that!?" she shouted at no one in particular. "What's going on? Someone find out what's going on!" she barked out orders. Just for spite, Kiri made her spill the wine glass she was holding down the front of her naked body. Startled, she leapt up, running about looking for something to wipe up the spill. Kiri knew her satisfaction might evoke suspicion, so she quickly emptied her mind. Veexana was only half Betazoid, and couldn't actually read people's thoughts, but her empathic abilities allowed her to sense their feelings, moods and whether they were lying or not.

"Not to worry," said Veexana trying to regain her composure. "The tectonic plates on this planet are always active. Nothing to worry about," but she herself was looking very worried.

It was doubtful they would know of Kiri's abilities. There weren't many documented cases of genetically enhanced people with telekinetic abilities. She wasn't on the list of augments, and since she wasn't actually a criminal, she probably wouldn't be on a list of fugitives either. The surreptitious looks the others were shooting her way told her they knew it had been her that had caused the quake. Yazmeen rolled her eyes and Alan hid a smirk behind his hand.

Kiri chanced a glance at Khan, who was staring at her with an expression that was very difficult to read. His face softened when he saw the anger and fear in her eyes. With a jolt, she recalled that Veexana had said that Khan loved her. She had never really been sure of his feelings for her, but now she knew, and she could see it for herself. And a _baby_? This was really too much to take in all at once. Khan reached over and gently placed a hand on her belly. It was a gesture of fierce protectiveness. This new life would be his son or daughter. He had never thought of having a family. He must have fathered children in the past, but he never knew them, had never lived with them, had never loved their mothers.

A whole new life of possibilities stood before them - and they all depended on the mood of a crazy, half-naked woman who was dribbling wine down the front of her chest. The next phase of their lives would be nothing if not interesting.


	22. Chapter 22 - Hope

**Chapter 22 - Hope**

Back on the _Sādhaka_ , Rab was finally left to himself. It was clear now why Veexana's boarding party hadn't been that thorough. She intended to impound the whole ship and everything on it. The search was just a cursory intel gathering mission. Rab felt helpless and uncertain. He paced the lab, running his hand through his thick head of black hair. He was on edge and kept checking the com panels.

Several times he tried to contact the others on the surface, but their communicators must have been either disabled or taken…not a good sign. He stood indecisively for a few moments and looked at the Anstetts laying comatose. He wondered if he shouldn't revive one or both of them briefly. Their emotional mental states were compromised, but they largely retained their tactical expertise, which was what he desperately needed right now. But he knew he wouldn't be able to control them, certainly not both of them. Carl had rarely looked so serene in waking life as he did while laying unconscious under the influence of the drugs. Karen looked like a statue, her face more lovely in repose than it had been in a long while. After the chemical lobotomy, her expression was often vacant and slack-jawed. Such a shame, Rab thought with sadness and anger, remembering her in her former 'glory days' as vibrant, intelligent and shrewd.

As he stood wondering what to do, a communication alert sounded on a com panel. They had routed some of the bridge functions to the MedBay so Rab could remain there and still have the ability to monitor things. His heart leapt at the sound and he ran to answer it.

"Rab here, what's going on down there?" he asked intently. There was a pause and a hissing noise.

"Rab? Rabinesh Kapur?" asked a man's voice. The voice was definitely not Khan's or Alan's, yet it was oddly familiar.

"Who is this?" asked Rab, his hopefulness turning to confusion.

" Tom Harding," came the reply. Rab blinked and took this in. Tom Harding had been the commander of one of the other ships that was supposed to have rendezvoused with them at M'weru. That sizable ship, the Ganymede, was supposed to have had a compliment of twenty augments.

"Harding?" gasped Rab, shocked and elated at the same time. "Is that really you? Where are you?"

"We're two days out from the planet. We picked up your ship's call signal on our long range scanners. Is it safe to meet? Has Vega settled things yet?"

Rab paused before answering. This was going to be a sore blow to Harding's crew. "Vega's dead. He never made it off the departure station. Khan and the rest are on the planet now, at the invitation of one of the dictators. I've lost contact with them. It's not safe here. I'd caution you to maintain a distance, though, they probably know you're there already."

"Understood," said Harding. "Have any other ships reported in? I've not picked up anyone else's signal."

Here's where it got tough. Rab braced himself to give the bad news. "We came across the Horizon days ago. She was destroyed by a Borg scout vessel, and the crew were…missing. Presumed dead."

"Did I hear you say a _Borg_ scout vessel?" asked Harding in disbelief.

"Unfortunately, yes," replied Rab.

"What the hell happened?" asked Harding incredulously.

"It's too long a story," said Rab. "Listen, we need a plan to extract our crew on the planet if I don't hear from them soon," said Rab. "I don't know if they're monitoring our communications, but I am going to assume so," he warned.

"Are you alone on the _Sādhaka_ _?_ " asked Harding.

"I might as well be," Rab replied sadly. "I'm here with two injured," he explained, not wanting to go into the details right now. Time was of the essence, especially if they were being monitored.

"I advise switching from audio to data stream communication, encryption Alpha-293," said Harding. "Can you do that?" he asked.

"Yes," said Rab. "Switching over now." The augments were no strangers to being chased and monitored. They had developed encryption codes that were so advanced, no one had ever broken them. It would be crucial to keep any plans hidden from prying ears and keep the location and plans of the Ganymede safe.

What Rab discovered in the next few moments provided him with a much-needed infusion of hope. The Ganymede was equipped with a cloaking device, acquired on the black market, of course. They could approach within beam-out distance without ever being detected. Although the Federation explicitly agreed not to develop or use cloaking technology, the augments weren't part of Starfleet, and so not held to that treaty. They had also figured out a way to allow the use of transporters while still cloaked, an incredible feat of engineering that could only have been achieved by an augmented intellect.

Within the next few hours, Harding had beamed Rab and the Anstetts over to the Ganymede, leaving the _Sādhaka_ empty. Security really had no reason to monitor the whereabouts of Rab and the others, thinking them to be prisoners trapped on the way station. There was no way they could leave the ship in a shuttle without being detected…or so they thought…


	23. Chapter 23 - the Ganymede

**Chapter 23 - The Ganymede**

The reunion aboard the Ganymede was filled with mixed emotions. They always knew their escape from Earth would be dangerous, but this was the first that the Ganymede's crew was hearing about those lost aboard the Horizon. The news of the Anstetts was shocking to say the least, and the all watched sadly as Carl and Karen were wheeled away into the MedBay.

Rab stood facing the group of twenty, all of whom he had known since their original rise to power in the 1990's. They were by all accounts his only family. One unfortunate side effect of being held in cryogenic suspension for a long period of time was that your loved ones were either aged or deceased when you were finally revived. After a few occurrences of this, the Augments learned that it was too painful having to continually lose people they loved, so, for the most part, they tried not to get too close to others, especially non-augments.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you," Rab said earnestly, taking it in turns to shake hands or hug each crew member, depending on his relationship with them. "I was beginning to freak out, to be honest."

"So what exactly is going on?" ask Tom Harding. The crew was held in rapt attention as Rab told them everything that had transpired since they had escaped from the transport station, including all about Kiri and the Borg. They had no secrets amongst themselves, and it was important they knew _all_ the facts.

Tom whistled. "You'd think the most unbelievable thing about this would be the Borg ship, but old Khan getting close to a woman? That's _really_ unbelievable!"

Harding had been one of the leaders among the augments and had had somewhat of a rivalry with Khan over the years, though it was mostly along the lines of a wary tolerance for each other. They all knew their odds of survival were better if they stayed a cooperative, cohesive unit.

Rab felt as if a giant weight had lifted from his shoulders. The burden of their fate was now shared, and they had a crew, a cloaked ship and weaponry.

"So what happened to you?" asked Rab. "Why didn't you meet us at the rendezvous point?"

Harding folded his hands across his chest. "We happened upon a Ferengi trading vessel about a week ago. DaiMon Grixa."

Rab nodded vigorously. "We ran into them a few days ago! He never mentioned he had a run-in with you!"

"He wouldn't have," said Harding blandly. "We were searching for your transponder signal, trying to stay visible as long as possible so you could pick us up, but when the Ferengi caught wind of us, we cloaked. They've been sniffing around that sector ever since. We've had to move around to put them off our scent. We just came back within range of M'weru again, when I picked up the Sādhaka's signal."

"Any sign of any other ships?" asked Rab, wondering what had happened to the rest of the forty three augments that made up their family of eighty that were frozen in cryogenic suspension.

"We haven't heard from the other three ships," said Harding, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. "The Hikaru had a cloaking device like ours, so she could be hiding. Had a compliment of 25, so I hope she's OK. I don't know what the other 2 ships were. Khan didn't fill me in on all the details. I'm not sure he even knew himself. Vega was pretty tight lipped with the plan, that son of a bitch," he swore.

Rab nodded. "We need to come up with a plan to get Khan and the others out of there," he said worriedly. "They've been down there for hours."

"But what makes you think they're prisoners?" asked Harding. "They could be cutting us a deal. Interrupting that might be detrimental to us." He had a point.

"Well," answered Rab, "They did say they were taking the Sādhaka into their service, and if the crew weren't being held against their will, they would have communicated to me by now."

"Both fair points," conceded Harding. "Can we identify them and get a transporter lock?" he asked over his shoulder. One of his crew Petia Vaska, snapped into action and ran to a console.

"There are many humanoids on the planet," answered Vaska. "I can't narrow down which ones are them." He thought about various things they could trace.

"Do they have StarFleet communicators or generic?" he asked.

"Generic," said Rab, "but of Earth manufacture."

"That narrows it down a bit. I wish I had the location of their transporter beam out," said the technician. "Can we get it from the Sādhaka's logs?"

"No can do," answered Rab. "They were made to beam to the surface from the way station transporter."

"Damn," whispered Vaska under his breath.

"How many half-Betazoid females do you think would be on M'weru," said Rab, cleverly trying to grasp at unique identifiers that might bring them closer to the crew.

"There's only one," said the crew man. "There are many full Betazoid entities, but only one half-human female."

"That's her!," shouted Rab. "Veexana is one of the local dictators here. She invited them down to a "party in our honor" but I'm sure she has them trapped, probably trying to press them into her service."

"No doubt," said Harding dryly.

"There are ten humans in her immediate vicinity, but there's no telling which of those are your crew, or if it's them at all," said Vaska.

Harding was stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we take the chance and beam them all aboard in a containment field. If we get Veexana, we can use her as a bargaining chip to get the others back. It'll be like fishing… you never know what you're going to hook."

"I like the way you think," said Rab enthusiastically.

Harding turned to his crew. "Set up a containment field around the transporter pad. We don't want them to know who we are or where we are. Those in the transporter room, keep your faces hidden so we can't be identified later. Keep the lights low so the room is harder to see."

His eyes narrowed into slits and he smiled a humorless smile. "Let's go fishing."


	24. Chapter 24 - Bringing Down The House

**Chapter 24 - Bringing Down The House**

Veexana tried to recover her composure in front of her 'guests' wishing to appear in control of the situation. She beckoned the servants to bring more wine, which was hardly necessary since no one had even sampled what was already there. A guard approached her tentatively and she curtly signaled for him to approach her with his business. He whispered something in her ear and she stiffened visibly. She stood up and glared at Khan.

"What are you trying to pull?" she accused him, peering at him with her dark eyes.

"What do you mean?" asked Khan, genuinely confused.

"Where are the other members of your crew?" she asked shrilly, panic beginning to rise in her.

"They are aboard my ship," said Khan quietly, not knowing what was happening but hoping to impress his honesty upon her Betazoid senses.

"They are no longer aboard the ship," she said through clenched teeth. "I don't know what you're trying to get away with, but I let them stay there in good faith and you deceived me," she said dramatically.

Khan sat up straight in his chair.

"They should still be aboard the Sādhaka," he replied, genuinely concerned, but also angry. "If you would enable our communicators, we could contact them," he said dryly.

Veexana was truly annoyed at the thought of three augmented humans potentially running amok somewhere on her planet unaccounted for. Had she known there were in fact 23 Augments sitting on a cloaked, armed starship just within range of M'weru, she would have been terrified.

At some silent signal from Veexana they were surrounded by five guards and found themselves being led to a small room off to the side of the banquet hall.

"What's the meaning of this?" barked Khan, his anger rising to the point of action. But he knew that even if Kiri were able to use her telekinetic powers, they might not be able to get back to the ship. What the hell had happened to Rab and the others? Where could they have gone without Veexana's people knowing it. Better yet, _why_ did they leave?

"Don't do anything yet. Just don't let them separate us," whispered Khan into Kiri's ear. Her face was a mask of barely contained fury. This circus wasn't what she signed up for. She would not allow herself to be contained like a prisoner as she had been in the Institute.

They allowed themselves to be marched out of the hall followed by surreptitious looks from the other revelers at the banquet. Veexana had managed to slip on a flowing top evidently feeling her nakedness to be a form of vulnerability now, and not the bargaining chip she had felt she needed at the outset.

Once they were all in the room Veexana rounded on them.

"No one crosses me," she hissed at them. "This is my planet and I set the rules," she glowered.

Khan's mouth twitched in what might have been amusement, but that only infuriated her more.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I'll have her killed right in front of you," she said, motioning at Kiri. Two guards came up behind her to grab her arms and all hell broke loose.

Ming launched herself at one guard while Khan's super speed grabbed the other's neck and broke it in one swift movement. Veexana screamed and hid behind one of the guards for protection but then the whole scene took a bizarre twist as Kiri's mind reached out to stop all action in the room. Not being able to distinguish friend from foe, she brought the whole room to a complete standstill. Khan's face was frozen in an expression of rage. Yazmeen and Alan were back to back in a defensive position covering each other and Ming was poised to pounce on her next victim.

The only one not trapped in the telekinetic field was Kiri herself. She was lost in her instinctive need to protect her unborn child. But then something odd happened. People in the room began to blur. At first, Kiri thought she was going to pass out, but then she recognized the familiar feeling of being transported. Someone was beaming them out and she hoped it was Rab.

When they materialized on the Ganymede, they were still in their immobile state. At first Petia Vaska frantically checked his transporter logs to see what gone wrong during transport, but then he realized that Kiri was moving and they were in fact all alive. Rab ran forward to greet her.

"It's OK, Kiri! You're among friends…It's me!" he said, though his face was covered as they had planned and the lights were low.

Kiri's eyes focused on him and she in recognized his voice and his eyes.

"You can let them go," said Rab gently. "Their weapons have been disabled in transport."

The Augments stood poised to overtake the guards as soon as Vaska let down the force field around the transporter pad. Kiri was shaking as she let go of her hold. There was a moment of confusion as everyone got their bearings. It was disconcerting enough to come out of being immobilized, but being transported at the same moment without warning and coming back to motion in a completely different location caused a momentary pause as people tried to get their bearings.

Khan, being uncertain of where they were and seeing masked men ready to move in started to move in a defensive posture. Rab came forward to meet him pulling his mask down to reveal himself.

"It's OK!" he said raising his hands so they could see. "It's us," he reassured them. Khan's eyes widened as he took in his surroundings and recognized the people around him. The Ganymede's crew moved in quickly and efficiently against the weaker humans on the transport pad, taking no special care to be gentle to Veexana.

Veexana and all of her guards were hauled out of the transporter room to a room that would serve as a Brig, and the remaining Ganymede crew unmasked themselves. Khan scanned the scene to make sure all of his crew were safe and accounted for and then approached Kiri, taking her by the arms. Her eyes were distant, as if she were not seeing what was around her and her face held a blank expression.

"Kiri," whispered Khan. "Are you all right right?" But she didn't answer. Instead, the focus in her eyes grew but not outwards. In fact, Kiri's mind was still entrained on the surface of the planet, where she channeled all of her hostility. She would be answerable to no one. She would not live on a planet where she was contained like a prisoner. The shockwaves that she created on the surface were enough to bring down the entire capital city where Veexana had her headquarters.

"Sir," said one of the Gaymede crew who had been monitoring communications from the surface. "It seems as if the whole city is suffering from a huge seismic event. Origin…unknown."

All of the Sadhaka's crew turned to look at Kiri, whose face was now twisted with a hateful satisfaction. Tom Harding stepped forward.

"Is this the woman you told us about?" he asked Rab, who was approaching Kiri very slowly.

"Yes," answered Rab. "Stay back," he warned Harding. "She may be unpredictable right now."

Harding kept his distance. "Khan," he said in greeting. "We have some catching up to do…"


End file.
